A Life Worth Living
by Pranktical Joker
Summary: Adolescent life had been unkind to Roxas. He had always been envious of Sora, who constantly outperformed him in almost every single thing. Considering that, it was no surprise that his selfless act to ensure his brother's well-being seemed like it came out of the blue. AU, Roxas/Sora sibling fic.
1. Intention

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

Roxas was Sora's brother, but if he hadn't told them, nobody would have known that they were twins.

True, they had similar physique, and their radiant, azure eyes were identical. But that was it as far as the similarity went. Despite having been born from the same pair of parents, he sported blonde hair, while Sora's was brown with an ever so slight tinge of caramel to it. Genetics, they once said—one trait being dominant over the other. Seeing that his father and mother both had brown hair, it was a no-brainer that he was the one with the recessive genes. In fact, he was the carbon copy of their elder brother, Ventus, who had also been recessive.

Sadly, the boy—he had been affectionately referred to by his twin little siblings as Ven—was no longer with them. He had passed away due to heart failure at the tender age of nineteen. At that time Roxas and Sora, being eight years old, had been old enough to understand the pain of loss; considering their age and the sheer amount of time for them to get over the sudden loss, to say that they had been totally devastated back then was a massive understatement.

Enough of the past; let's get back to the here and now.

All those things aside, the differences between Roxas and Sora weren't limited to the physical sense. Twins they might be, but nothing could be further from the truth: their personalities and way of life differed by a great deal, too.

Sora was the kind of person whom practically everyone in the world liked and loved. He had lots of friends, and it didn't seem he needed much effort to make new ones. It was as though he was a magnet to which people would just flock even when he least wanted it. Because of that, he had wonderful social life; it was enough to make up for his poor grades at school.

On the other hand, Roxas was known to people as an almost abnormally quiet person. The manner his emotions and heart worked was just enigmatic, so much to the point that almost nobody except his own twin brother could reach out to him. Even though he was the smartest in his class, he was very sensitive, too, as the slightest provocation would upset him. When it happened, he would cast aside his logic and reservation, lash out, and verbally assault his perceived 'agitator'. Those were the reasons why aside from his classmate, Xion, and senior, Lea, he had so few friends; people would rather shy away from him.

However, if there was one thing that he enjoyed doing with his brother, it was sports. They loved skateboarding, a passion which might have been acquired from Ven. Roxas was the slightly more skilful of the two, and he was capable of performing more difficult tricks than Sora.

As suggested by their parents, they practiced kendo as well, and had been doing that since they were little. Thanks to that, they could randomly go around armed with sufficiently long wooden stick and everyone would be enthralled by their finesse and display of skill. They had become famous, so much to the point that whenever any of them decided to compete in the National Kendo Championship, he would make his way to the top with just nice effort.

If there was one thing Roxas was better at than Sora, it was music, and just that. Having studied the piano since the age of four, he played exceptionally well, and the sight of him playing accompanied by Ven with his guitar had always been able to bring warmth into everyone's hearts. Sometimes, in his school's music room, he would play together with Xion just to chill out. Roxas was certainly more than able to sight-read music scores as well, and he had even made his own compositions although he had never thought of publishing them.

But that was about all. In almost all other respects, Roxas was exactly the polar opposite of Sora.

He really regretted the way everything had turned to be, although he knew there was absolutely nothing he could have done about it. Despite being fully aware of the negativity he had been accumulating because of it, he could only bury everything deep down in his heart, keeping it all to himself. That didn't make his problems with life any better.

Sora would sometimes come to him and ask if there was anything he could do to help, to which he always responded "Nothing's wrong." He knew that it wasn't the case, though; perhaps thanks to this 'twin telepathy' thing, he always knew what Roxas was feeling—it worked the other way around, too, but Roxas had never once intruded into Sora's feelings. It was because of this combined with Sora's persistence, although he had good intentions, that the blonde distanced himself—albeit rather unwillingly—from his brother.

In truth, what Roxas had been feeling was envy. He used to envy his own brother with a passion for making his life miserable. Everybody had always been comparing him to Sora; Sora this, Sora that, Sora everything. He believed he would always be trapped in his brother's shadow, and would never step out of it. No, he was very sure that he didn't have a chance of living as his own self.

Yes, he used to envy him that much. Used to.

A few days ago, everything changed.

Roxas hadn't thought it was possible, but there he was, the ugly truth spread on the table before his eyes. He just didn't understand, just why? He might envy him all this time, but neither one of them deserved to undergo this trying predicament! He couldn't even hate him if the fate of the world depended on it. He was his brother, and who in Kingdom Hearts' name wanted his own sibling to suffer like this?

Yes, there was nothing Roxas could do as history threatened to repeat itself. Sora caught the very same coronary disease that had claimed Ven's life six years ago, and the only thing he could do was watch helplessly as his younger twin brother had his life drained away by the accursed disease.

It was then that he thought about the late Ven, the big brother who had always been there in their times of need. The big brother who had always known what it was that troubled them. The big brother who had always succeeded in bringing them back to laughter and happiness after even the most depressing sadness assaulted them. The big brother around whom they had always been comfortable to be. And, of course… the big brother who would always be missed and remembered dear, deep in their hearts.

He knew for certain that Ven would be able to comfort them. He needed not do anything; just by being there, he would have done wonders for the distraught boys. Although Roxas never showed his emotions quite as readily as Sora always did, he always was open to big brother and would come to him first whenever troubles seized him. But Ven was no longer here… he was just at loss, not knowing what to do.

One night, he broke down in tears, unsure of his own feelings. How he longed to apologise, or for time to rewind itself to the point when he started hating Sora for shadowing his accomplishments. However, there was no denying the fact that he would be leaving for good.

He didn't want that, not one bit. Roxas wanted to apologise from the bottom of his heart, wipe the slate clean, and still walk the path of life together with his younger brother, so that Ven's wish wouldn't go unfulfilled. Sora had been having a blast through his life, and he deserved to live on. Alas, everybody knew it couldn't be done…

Reality had yet again reared its ugly head as though he had very high tolerance to emotional pain. He could almost picture reality smirking at him, taunting him with a smug voice. It was his turn to make his move, but right now, he could think of almost nothing: none, nil, naught.

That said, Roxas had never been one to believe in fate. He was very certain that nothing in this world had been written on the book, and one would be able to assert full control of his own—even others'—life if he tried hard enough.

And that was when it dawned on him. Apprehensive at first at the decision he was about to make, he figured there was only one other way to get through the entire ordeal, and it was to live in regret for not doing what he knew he could actually do. No, he would rather die than miss this chance.

After all, his life had been dull and boring, so wouldn't he be better off giving it to someone who surely would benefit more from it? He wanted to at least make one thing right, and this was his opportunity to do so—his one and only opportunity.

Asking Ven for the strength to carry on, he made his decision firm and final. Life could shout and sneer at him for being a coward for all he cared; Roxas would just pay no attention to it. As long as he could ensure his brother's survival, he was glad.

No, he simply didn't care. If there was anyone among the two of them who deserved to live on, it was Sora.

* * *

_Post-note: This chapter can be treated as a prologue. I hope you like it and the story is worth continuing! Stay cool!_


	2. Revelation

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

"Sir, ma'am—"

"How's my son, doctor? Please, tell me you have good news!"

Before the blue-haired doctor could even finish her sentence, the mother cut her off. No words could describe how apprehensive she was, and it looked like she could burst into tears any second now. After what had happened to her firstborn Ventus, never had she thought she had to relive a moment like this again. It was an utter disaster.

Roxas and his father could only watch in anxiety and trepidation as the other two adults spoke softly. Never had they expected that it was the point of tumbling, though; soon, upon hearing his wife gasp audibly, the father's face dropped, all traces of what little hope he had completely wiped away.

When the doctor saw the father getting more and more depressed by the second, she invited him and Roxas to join in the conversation. In truth, the news she bore was by no means good news and having to break it to the family surely would pain her heart as much as it would theirs. It was her who had brought the unfortunate news about Ventus to the same family six years ago, and now she had to do it again. The throes of hopelessness was killing her from within.

There was a tense period of silence during which it was clear that the doctor was struggling to find the most proper way to reveal the news. Everyone was on edge; the father clenched his jaws so hard it made gritting sounds, the mother held one of her hands against her mouth in disbelief, and Roxas curled his fists into a ball. Finally, unable to endure the deafening silence much longer, the doctor heaved a sigh and started speaking again.

"Sora…" she said, almost choking on her own words. "He's currently unconscious, but his vital signs are stable. However, as I said to Mrs. Skylers… the news I'm about to tell you isn't good news."

The family of three shook in emotional turmoil. They kept their silence, anticipating the heavy blow that was about to be dealt.

"His illness had progressed to a more advanced stage than before. It's even more advanced than when Ventus… was lost," she continued morosely. "And… I regret to say that… that he only has a few more days. A week, at most."

For a moment, time came to an abrupt halt and space collapsed on itself.

Colours lost their chroma and sounds faded.

The flaxen-haired preteen felt as though his world had been reduced to its greyscale and silent version—not that there were many other colours and sounds in the deathly quiet, sickeningly clinical white hallway. He couldn't even feel himself. Everything seemed to proceed unbearably slowly as he saw his mother falling on her knees and burying her face in her hands, his father trying to comfort her although he too was devastated inside.

Time's passing slowly returned to normal to Roxas' perception. After everything finally registered in his mind, he noticed that his mother was actually crying—scratch that, wailing—an ocean. As for himself, he felt lightheaded and stumbled backward; he plopped himself onto the nearest chair and let all kinds of emotions and thoughts run wild and amok in his head.

"One… week…? At most?" Roxas unknowingly muttered those words. "Why… so fast? Sora… why?"

Amidst the gut-wrenching wails of the mother, the doctor caught Roxas' remark. "I'm really, really sorry, Roxas. We've done our best, but it seems—"

"Then what about us?"

"Excuse me?"

The doctor turned around and found a pair of sapphire eyes casting its almost blank gaze on her own. Those eyes were the father's; initially dry, moisture slowly welled up, and before he knew it he was already shedding tears of desperation. Still, he needed to be strong, not only for his wife and himself, but also for his sons.

"You heard me, Doctor Aqua," replied the grownup from his position. "I know it might be wishful thinking, but isn't there some way by which we can help Sora?"

"Mr. Skylers, I know you want to help, but I—"

"Anything at all? I'd give my own heart if that's what it takes."

Aqua held her breath for a moment and exhaled audibly. She was aware that there was at least something the family could do in an attempt to save Sora, but it involved extreme risk. However, she couldn't just leave that option to herself, now, could she? Wasn't it part of her job to impart any knowledge that could potentially save the life of her patients?

Yet again, Aqua sighed in uncertainty. It was moments like this that made her question sometimes whether or not she had made the decision to pursue the field of medicine. "As a matter of fact, there is," she said. "But you need to understand the risk that comes with it."

The other adults—by now the mother had stopped wailing although still sobbing furiously—exchanged looks. No words needed to be said; they have synchronised their mind and heart and resolved that any option that could potentially save Sora's life was worth a shot.

"We're ready," said the father, affirmed by his wife's nod.

Acknowledging it, Aqua nodded back. Before that, she brought the adults to an even quieter area of the hallways, away from the prying eyes and ears of public, especially Roxas. Whatever it was that she was about to tell them would involve life and death and be of extremely high gravitas, so having the distraught boy around to hear everything was out of her interest.

After making sure the couple was calm enough to listen, she began. "As I said, there's one way you can do to help Sora. In fact, you said it yourself, Mr. Skylers."

The man in question became wide-eyed at those words. "I… did?"

"You did. It's by donating your heart."

Aqua then proceeded. In her explanation, she repeatedly made it clear to them that it was only a conjecture, but they didn't care. According to her, it was possible for either the father or the mother to donate his or her heart to Sora, although it wouldn't work the other way around. Unlike his father's or mother's heart, Sora's had already grown too weak; it wouldn't even last long enough outside the body. Either way, the donor would have to give up life if he or she wanted Sora to have a chance to survive.

There was a catch, though. The human body's immune system will always ensure that foreign genetic materials are dispatched as efficiently as possible. In this case, the donated heart would be treated as a foreign object; organ rejection by the recipient's body quickly came to mind. Since each parent only shared around half of their genetic materials with his or her child, it would be impossible to say that Sora would be certain to survive.

"In short, the donor… whoever it is, the donor won't be able to make it through for not having a functional heart," Aqua summarised. "But even then, Sora would only have at most fifty per cent chance of survival…"

"So… there's… no way of knowing for sure?" asked the mother, her eyes glistening in tears.

"As I said, this is a highly risky procedure. The outcome is… for us to find out, yes. Unless—"

"Unless it's me."

"Roxas!"

Needless to say, all three adults were surprised by the sudden revelation of the boy's presence. They had been so focused on the kind doctor's explanation they had failed to notice that Roxas had been there with them after all. So much for avoiding him.

"How long have you been there?" the father asked. His tone caused Roxas to back away a little.

"Long enough to hear Doctor Aqua explaining the catch," the boy answered. "Which proved that I've been correct all along."

"Correct about what, honey? I think you're tired. C'mon, let's get you home," his mother approached him and took his hand. "Doctor, thanks for your assistance. We'll—"

"Mom, I'm Sora's brother."

"I know you're worried, honey, but Sora's going to be okay. Tonight, dad will accompany—"

"Aside from our hair, Sora and I are physically the same person."

Having caught this remark, Aqua flinched. It looked like Roxas was smarter than she had given him credit for. She feared that the boy knew where she had intended to carry on with the conversation, but from the looks of it, he did. And he certainly knew what he was talking about.

It was the father's turn to speak. Completely overburdened, it took everything inside him not to snap at his son. "Enough, Roxas. Just do as told by your mother. You'll get sick if you stay here," he said between his teeth, trying to sound as gentle as possible although the words indicated otherwise.

"You know what I'm talking about, dad. I learned this in biology class."

Realisation finally dawned on the brunette lady, and at that very instant her face assumed a fearful expression. "Honey, no, you don't—no, Roxas. Tell me what I'm thinking isn't true."

"Dad, mom, you only pass around half of your genetic materials to Sora and me. But as his brother, his twin brother, I…" Roxas stopped for a moment. "I'm almost a perfect match."

"Roxas, no…"

"If we give Sora my heart, he'll survive."


	3. Determination

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

He had said it. With those words, Roxas had expressed his true intention, one that had been longing for him to let out of his heart. He almost couldn't believe how easily he had managed to say it out loud, especially in front of his parents; knowing them—and let's not forget that the whole ordeal had reminded them of his late brother—it was only a matter of seconds before someone broke out.

And he was correct.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, his mother erupted in horror. "NO! I'm not going to let my sons go!" she shrieked while hugging her son tight in her embrace. "Everyone will be alright, Roxas! I told you that! I promised you! You don't have to do anything… you don't have to…"

Roxas kept his silence. He slightly regretted and felt bad for the fact that he had made his mother cry yet again. Nevertheless, he let her empty her eyes out on his shoulder, even though it soaked his shirt silly. When he glanced over to his father, he saw him biting his lips, confused and completely unsure as to what he should say or do in such a situation.

"Mommy, please…" he said, his tone serious despite the childish word. The last time he used "daddy" or "mommy" to address his parents was when he was still four years old. "We all know this is the only way to ensure Sora lives."

Although Roxas was struggling to hold back his own tears from escaping the confines of his eyes, there was no mistaking the determination on his face. His mother begged in an attempt to change his mind, but it was in vain. Of course she wanted Sora to live, more than anything else in the world… but she didn't want to lose Roxas either. Losing Ventus was ordeal enough for her, and she couldn't let it happen ever again.

"Please don't jump too far ahead, son. You're still young, and there are many things waiting for you in life," the father joined in. "I'd rather give MY own heart. As your mother said, you don't have to do—"

"And let Sora die?" the preteen glowered. He didn't want to use that word, but he did anyway. "Don't you remember what Doctor Aqua said, dad? If you donate your heart, even though the operation is successful, there's no way to know for sure if Sora will survive! But if it's me…"

"Roxas…"

Aqua figured this wasn't the best time for her to be in the middle of a family affair, so she seized the opportunity to excuse herself. "I'll be in my office. Please feel free to drop by if you need me," she said to the family.

After the doctor left, tense silence hung in the air, and it was deafening. The parents were still trying to digest the reason why Roxas suddenly volunteered to give his own heart while all the goodness of life was waiting in front of him. Besides, they were aware that their sons' relationship had not exactly been good for the last few months, so it seemed to them like this sudden selfless act came totally out of the blue.

As though answering to their hidden question, Roxas spoke up again. HIs voice cracked thanks to the overwhelming sadness he felt inside. "… I wanna do something good for Sora. At least once…"

"Oh, Roxas. Why? What's in your mind? Please tell us…" the mother pled plaintively.

It was then that Roxas finally confided to his parents about the problems that had been gnawing at his heart lately. He revealed how he felt overshadowed by Sora despite being the older brother himself and his envy toward him—basically, he had just admitted that he had been having inferiority complex.

It all culminated in his confession that he only realised his mistake a few days ago when Sora had been first diagnosed with his disease, which gave rise to this urgent longing for apology. He really wanted Sora to continue living on and enjoy his great life, and at the same time, he intended this act of giving to be the greatest form of apology he ever offered to Sora.

Roxas felt really relieved and liberated afterward, as though a heavy burden had just been lifted from his shoulder. It was no surprise, though, since he had been storing everything deep down inside his heart, not knowing whom to go.

Yes, he had been that secretive; Roxas wasn't the type of person who would easily open and warm up to any other people. He would always turn to Ven for help because he had been the one who understood his problems and always knew what to say or do, but ever since his untimely passing his introversion had become even worse.

But no longer. Unbeknownst to even himself, he had been relieved of those overwhelming thoughts. Never had he known before that he could always turn to his parents for comfort, perhaps because he had been so used to confide everything in Ven… for that, he felt really, really stupid.

With this revelation, the parents had finally been made aware of the troubles their son had been going through. They immediately understood his sorrow and why he had been stubborn to have it his way come what may. Despite that, they were still very uncomfortable with the sacrifice he was about to make; it was very sudden, and to say the least, extreme. They tried to coax him to reconsider his decision, but again, it was met with failure.

Roxas was now brimming with tears, although he managed to keep himself from sobbing. "Dad, mom, if you give your heart and… and it fails… I'd lose both Sora and either of you. If it happens, I…"

"Honey…"

"Sora needs you more than anything, dad, mom. So please… please let me do this."

"Roxas, son," the father spoke up. "You must understand that you've put us in a very, very difficult. Do you know how hard it is for us to make a decision now that you're inside the equation?"

Again, silence. Roxas knew there was nothing but truth in his father's words. He stooped his head, embarrassed and not knowing what to say. He hadn't meant to make the moment, which had been ever so trying to begin with, even worse. Perhaps his father was correct; he might have jumped too far ahead. If only he had waited before voicing out his intentions…

However, before he could blame himself, he felt a strong yet gentle hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, he found himself locking gazes with his father, deep down those deep blue eyes similar to his own. To his surprise, he could feel them radiating pride. Bittersweet, indeed, but pride nonetheless.

"Still, that courage and selflessness you've shown… you've grown so much, son, and I'm really proud of you."

Those words really came to his mother as a total shocker. "Wh—dear, you can't be serious! This is our son we're talking about!"

"I'm not saying I've given Roxas the green light. But you've got to agree with me on this… his arguments are based on solid grounds."

"That's true… but still…"

The father wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder for support. "Look at our son, Brisa. He's grown into a strong man. I'm not saying we have to proceed with this alternative, but don't you think his intentions are very… pure?" he asked her. She nodded slowly. "I admit I'm not entirely comfortable with his idea, it's too… extreme. But he just wants the best for all of us. Besides…"

"Besides?"

"He's not completely wrong. I'm… trying not to sound proud here, but they need us. More than anything in the world. I'd never forgive myself if they were to lose us…" he paused for a moment, then whispered ever so softly so that only the brunette could hear what he was about to say. "And I'd rather I bear the sadness of living without them than them living without either of us. They don't deserve living a life without our love."

"But that means… first Ventus, and now Roxas…?"

"Like I said, we may not have to go with this plan. We don't have much time, but let's talk about it tomorrow, with Roxas, too. Sounds like a good plan to you?"

"… I guess that's the best thing we can do for now."

"Alright. Now will you be strong? For me and the children?"

"I'll try. Oh, thank you so much, dear… I don't know what to do without you. It's just… I wish there was another option to go with…"

"I do, too. Believe me, I do."

A few steps from them, Roxas was sitting alone. He was curious as to what they were talking about, but he knew better than to eavesdrop on adults in conversation; what he knew for sure, though, was that they were discussing about the next step to be taken. He was quite certain too that—still unwilling to take his suggestion—they were brainstorming to find a safer alternative that could cater to everyone with as minimal loss as possible.

He didn't want to think any harder and further than this. He felt tired… physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. In order to conserve just enough amount of energy to go back home, he decided to have a quick rest. He didn't care; right now, he felt like emptying his mind, casting away everything that had been running incessantly in his head just for a second or so. Slowly, he began to drift into sleep, his mind relaxed of all those troubling thoughts.

"Roxas? Wake up, son."

However, exactly at the moment when he slipped into unconsciousness, a voice yanked him back to reality with a jerk. It was his dad's voice. He stood up, stretched furiously, and rubbed his eyes. "What is it, dad?"

"We've got something you need to know."

Roxas froze at those words. Was this the moment? Had they finally agreed on his proposition? He hadn't thought it would be this quick. True, he wanted to help save Sora from his ordeal, but he hadn't expected that they would agree oh-so-easily like that. If that was the decision, he would need some time to prepare himself, tell Sora about it, and say his goodbye to everyone else.

Seeing her son's unease, the mother took the initiative to initiate their conversation. "Honey… we've thought about it, what to do next. We'd like you to know what we thought is best for all of us."

"To be honest, Roxas, we're not ready to make a decision just yet. We still need more time," the father explained further. "I know we're racing against time right now, but do you mind if we talk about it together tomorrow? All three of us?"

'So they haven't decided after all. Can't blame them, I've put them in a difficult situation…' Roxas thought inwardly. He then drew a deep breath and made himself comfortable by taking a seat just beside his parents. "Okay. I don't mind. But we can't take too long, dad, or else…"

"I know. We'll come up with a decision no later than tomorrow. I promise."

Roxas was glad. It hadn't been made certain yet, but he could potentially save his brother. He had to admit, though, that he felt kind of strange; if they were to follow through with his proposal, it was death that he had to face, but he didn't feel afraid at all. Perhaps because he knew everything would be worth it? Or because he could finally do something good to Sora? Either way, it was enough to make him crack a long overdue smile.

"Good, then it's settled," said the father as he stood up. "You should go back home with your mother."

"Dad? Can I see Sora first?"

The father checked his watch. Although he was alright with Roxas' request, it was getting late and it might be at his best interest to go home as soon as possible. His wife, though, ensured that it was alright, and whispered something to him. He nodded in understanding, and finally granted his son permission.

"Doctor Aqua said he was unconscious, but I don't see why you can't. Go ahead, son," said the man. "Do you want us to wait outside?"

Roxas thought for a while, and yes, perhaps he could use some time alone with his brother. "If, um, it's okay with you."

"Take your time, honey," replied his mother, much to his gratefulness. "He might not be awake, but I'm quite sure… I'm very sure he can hear you."

And so, with his parents' permission, Roxas walked to the room where Sora was being treated, mumbling a silent "thank you" under his breath.

* * *

"Sora? You awake?"

When he opened the door to Sora's room, he was greeted by a gloomy atmosphere. Considering everything that had taken place here, it wasn't surprising, but Roxas felt as though the sadness lingering around in the room was suffocating. He could even almost picture a giant hourglass hovering in the air, the sand signifying Sora's remaining time.

Anyway, since his greeting wasn't answered, the boy in question was obviously not awake. Slowly, Roxas approached the bed on which his brother lay; to his slight relief, he found that he was actually asleep instead of unconscious.

Sora's breath was slow and steady, albeit shallow. Beads of sweat adorned his forehead despite the rather cold temperature of the room. It was too quiet; the only sound he could hear was the low hum of the air conditioner that somehow sounded ominous to him.

Roxas took a seat at the edge of the bed, exercising extra caution so as not to disturb Sora's sleep. When he studied his face, it was evident to him that he currently was in discomfort. However, even in the affliction of this accursed disease, that happy-go-lucky expression was still there; although Sora was far from being in his best condition, he was in peace.

"Hi, Sora," Roxas greeted again. "Always the optimist, huh?"

No answer, but of course. What could he expect? Unlike him, Sora was such a heavy sleeper, and not even an earthquake would be able to wake him up. Roxas chuckled at the thought; it was just like those moments in days bygone.

Suddenly, in one severe case of nostalgia rush, memories of those happy times he had shared in the past with his brothers surged through his mind. At that very instant, he was brought to the past; like a slideshow, vague, evanescent pictures flashed in his head, most of them depicting him with both Ven and Sora.

That was a sudden and painful whiplash for him. Thanks to those memories, he felt even worse for having let himself nurture his envy toward his own brother. They used to do everything together, even if it meant dragging each other into trouble. They had been twin troublemakers not even Ven could have stood and they had always derived fun together from the results of their antics. The past had been so kind to them.

But why did everything had to take a turn for the worse? Since Ven had been gone, life had steadily been going downhill for him, and the string of events eventually culminated in his strained relationship with Sora. That said, did he really have to ask? It was his own self who had brought this heavy guilt upon himself.

Yes, it was all because of him. Now that he thought hard about it, Sora's one and only intention had been to be there for him. That was why his brother had been worried sick of him. How dumb he was for thinking he had been trying to make himself a poor substitute for Ven and invade his personal space!

He should have known better than that. What kind of person would stay silent in the shadows when seeing his brother in distress? That alone was the reason why he had been so willing to give up his own life for Sora. You would surely do anything in his capability in order to keep your loved ones from trouble, and in this case, Roxas was about to do it by giving his own life.

Before he knew it, he had been apologising plaintively to Sora. He had been so mean to his own brother by not wanting to accept his sincere help. If only time could just be turned back, he would have gone back to that moment to make things right.

"You've had great times with your friends, but you never forgot about me. I was so stupid… you only wanted to help me, but I didn't want to be helped…" he said. He found it hard to restrain a few stray drops of tear from escaping his eyes, so he let them go. "You were there for me when Ven died, but me? I did nothing for you. What kind of a big brother am I? I've failed you, I've failed Ven… and mom and dad, too…"

How he wished that his words could transcend the boundary between reality and slumber and eventually reach Sora, but perhaps it was too big an ask. In deep regret, he continued to state how sorry he was for being the root cause of their strained relationship.

However, Roxas knew he couldn't stay in this state for long. Self-loathing wouldn't get him anywhere, and Ven wouldn't have allowed him to sulk like that either. Just like his father, he too had to be strong for Sora.

With newfound resolution, Roxas wiped his tears away, lifted his head, and patted his brother on his head. "But Sora… I'll make things right for you," he said with a bittersweet, yet sincere, smile. "You're gonna live, Sora. I promise you that. Mark my words…"

* * *

_Post-note: Sorry if the story progression is a bit slow. This chapter and the previous were originally intended to be one whole chapter, but I decided to split it into two._


	4. Absolution

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

_"Roxas, come in, son."_

_He was used to being called by his father in such a manner, but right now, he felt as though a stream of lightning coursed through his body upon hearing that short sentence._

_Roxas, who had been waiting in the living room for some time now, turned off his handheld game console and stowed it in his pocket. He readied himself for what was about to be made known: the decision on whether or not they would proceed with his plan._

_With his scrambled attention, he started making predictions on what the verdict would be. Earlier on, between the beeps and bleeps of his game, he had heard muffled sniffles from inside. He had caught some muffled words, too, but he had made zero effort to find out. That would have been a case of eavesdropping, a practice frowned upon by his parents._

_So, not wanting to keep his parents waiting any longer, Roxas entered the room and immediately took a seat on the bed. As soon as he was seated, he thought it would be over with fast, but oh no, he was wrong._

_Silence roared. The tension in the air was really thick one could possibly scoop it with a spoon. The unbroken quiet was almost too much for him to bear, and if it wasn't enough, add this to the picture: no one took the initiative to say something. Or anything at all. There he sat, his attention on the floor as though it had been the most interesting object in the whole world._

_Roxas couldn't take it any further. He drew a deep breath and finally decided to just speak up. "What is it, dad, mom?"_

_It looked like his voice succeeded in reaching into the depths of his parents' thoughts. His mother held his father's palm in hers, clinging onto it ever so tightly as though beseeching for time to stop. That wouldn't work, of course, and at this thought, tears started running her cheeks._

_Seeing his wife in her current situation really broke the father's heart. He knew she wouldn't be able to bring herself to convey their message across to Roxas; even he had to struggle against his will, too. However, as he had said previously, they really didn't have too much time lounging around, and every single second counted. Most importantly, his son had to know about something._

_Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, it was his turn to speak. "We have an agreement."_

_'Well, that's why I'm here. To listen,' said the boy in his thought. "Okay… and that would be…?"_

_His father explained a lot of things. He went on about how hard it had been for them to reach this decision, how much time had been needed, and how they had to be strong in facing the aftermath come what may. There was a certain sentence of three words he kept repeating throughout his explanation, and it was "we love you"._

_Although he knew they didn't mean to drag, Roxas felt they wouldn't be going anywhere like this. He stood up, approached his parents, and took their hands in his. "Daddy, mommy…" he said. "I'm ready. Just say it. Whatever it is… I love you, too."_

_How Roxas had addressed them affectionately, coupled with the very, very gentle tone in which he had delivered his words, made his parents' hearts stir. They couldn't go back now. They had to put an end to this state of in-between._

_And so, press on they did._

_"Roxas, honey," said the mother, although it pained her so. "Your brother needs you."_

_"Mom…? That means…"_

_Before Roxas could finish his sentence, he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his body in an affectionate and loving embrace. He had also unknowingly let his father pat him gently on the shoulder._

_The father breathed in and produced a sad yet proud smile. "Son, go and save your brother."_

* * *

Two days had come and gone since Roxas' parents had given him their blessing to donate his heart, thereby sealing his brother's survival at the cost of his own.

Even though he was staring Death in the eye, he wasn't afraid. He wasn't like an average, everyday person who would surely freak out at the fact that his or her days were counted. No, not so for Roxas, for his will and heart was strong, thanks to his firm belief that it would correct the wrong he had done to Sora.

Perhaps it was due to solace coming from an unseen source, too. Every so often during this period of time, Roxas would spend some moments in private to speak to Ven, usually in the confines of his own room or the chapel of the hospital. He didn't know whether or not his older brother could hear him, but in doing so, he found comfort. Perhaps Ven could after all.

But Roxas wasn't without his secrets. He had to keep Sora from obtaining the knowledge that he was about to quite literally give up his life for him.

Keeping this piece of information from his own brother broke his heart so, but at the same time, he knew he had to do it. Being a hyper boy he was, Sora's emotion could tumble up and down faster than the fastest rollercoaster, and it went without saying that he would certainly be stressed out had anybody told him the truth. Should that happen, who was Roxas to say that it wouldn't affect his condition whatsoever?

Yes, he had to keep the metaphorical beans from spilling. He couldn't afford to let Sora sulk in sadness. The transplantation surgery was scheduled to take place tomorrow night; his brother was this close to his rebirth—so to speak—and he was certain as could be not to spoil it.

Now, all Sora knew about the surgery was that a kind person had agreed to donate for him. However, for a reason he didn't yet know, something had been keeping him from being happy. He was grateful, don't get him wrong, but he couldn't help but think that there were some strings attached.

Earlier this evening, Roxas had decided to stay at the hospital in order to spend what little time he had with Sora. The younger boy had mixed emotions; last time he checked, his relationship with Roxas had been strained and yet to be mended. It came as no surprise to him that neither of them talked much, and since everybody knew Roxas was quite a sensitive soul, he had to watch what to say or do in front of him.

Sora didn't take the initiative to speak since it wasn't of his interest to offend Roxas. He found the situation they were currently in was awkward at best, but that just worsened his longing to initiate a conversation. He was conflicted; he didn't want Roxas to leave now that he was here with him. With all those thoughts in mind, Sora decided to let Roxas have this time to himself.

On the other hand, Roxas was actually waiting for Sora to talk to him. He had been asleep when he apologised, which meant it didn't count; that was why he had been feeling this urge to ask for Sora's forgiveness again, this time for real. That said, he was still quite embarrassed of himself for the wrong that he had done, which was true to the point that he simply couldn't bring himself to initiate the appropriate conversation.

Of course, Sora's decision to leave Roxas alone for now meant their desire to talk to each other wouldn't be granted. They would proceed with their activities in absolute silence, and it continued to stay that way even after the clock had struck nine. Sora continued playing the game Roxas had brought for him, while Roxas just sat there on the couch, dividing his attention evenly between the book on hand and the television.

As seconds went by, boredom started to assail Sora, and the game was beginning to fail in keeping him entertained. It was at this point that he found the lack of communication unnerving; three hours had gone since he received Roxas for the night, and naturally, they should have spoken about something beyond "have you eaten yet?".

Right now, Kingdom Hearts knew what Roxas was watching on the television, but said boy was still transfixed by whatever it was. Sora thought a bit… perhaps, if he wanted to talk to his him, this was the perfect opportunity. He hoped to at least get a few words of conversation going, at least so that Roxas had made a mistake by deciding to stay for the night…

"Sora? How are you feeling?"

… but Roxas beat him to the punch. He had finished asking that question before Sora was able to even start speaking.

Yet, Sora was slightly more excited than he outwardly appeared. This was the first time his brother actually initiated a conversation about something other than his scheduled meal time: his well-being. What was not to be happy about?

"A bit weak, but I think I'm okay," he replied in a rather sombre tone. "Don't worry about me! I'll get better in no time, thanks to that kind person."

"Are you happy?" asked Roxas again.

"I'm not sure," came the reply. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I know I should be, but I… something tells me I mustn't. It's like I'm not allowed to be glad… you know what I mean?"

To Roxas, those words hurt more than seven strikes of lightning. How he wished he hadn't needed to keep secrets… but he couldn't do that. "Sora, I wish I could tell you…" he mumbled silently under his breath.

"What was that?" asked Sora, having caught some of the whispered words.

In response, Roxas just shook his head and managed a smile as naturally as he could. "Getting bored of the game already?"

"It's not that the game is boring, but you've gotta take a break every now and then."

"Wanna join me, then?" Roxas offered Sora to watch the show together. He then shifted sideways to make some space for him. "I know you're not really into sci-fi, but this one's kinda cool."

Sora complied right away. He was still cautious, but the fact that Roxas assisted him to help him get comfortable really did wonders to dilute the taut atmosphere. And now, here they were sitting next to each other, which was really an accomplishment of some sort.

Despite this, Sora suspected that something was troubling Roxas. Now that the situation had become amicable, he decided to help out. He said his brother's name… but to his surprise, the reaction he got was, to say the least, unexpected.

Instead of replying with words, Roxas turned his glance on Sora. In his eyes was this strange glint of curiosity and puzzle mixed together as though Sora had said something so uncharacteristic of him. He continued to stare at his brother with that amused look, all while restraining himself from chuckling although upon closer inspection, one could see the ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

Seeing this reaction, Sora mentally slapped himself. He felt stupid for being too quick to assume that he could speak to Roxas whenever he willed. "Um, sorry… just forget it."

Still amused, Roxas ignored him. "What did you say, Sora?"

"Never mind. It's not important—"

"No. My name," Roxas interjected. "How did you say my name?"

"… um, Roxas?"

This time, the older boy couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. "That's funny. I never thought you'd call me that."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't know? The Sora I know would never call me 'Roxas'."

Gears began to spin in Sora's head, and he finally put two and two together. When he found out what his brother's rather enigmatic remark was about, he too chuckled, and for a moment there he could feel what little trace of tension left behind in the room being washed away.

"I see… it's like calling Ven 'Ventus'. Sounds unnatural," said Sora, gaining a nod of approval from Roxas. "That's what you're trying to say, right… Rox?"

"That's more like it," Roxas replied with a gentle smile.

Another period of silence followed. Unlike before, this time around it was a comfortable one. Because of this, Sora quickly forgot about his worry and ended up not asking Roxas about his problem; knowing that Roxas had warmed up toward him was already beyond consolation. Everything would be just fine, he believed it.

They maintained their silence for the next several minutes, content with each other's company. Roxas still had one agenda, though, and it was to apologise to Sora; there was no better place and time than right here, right now. He had prepared himself for this very moment, and before it was too late, he had to do it.

And so, he gathered his courage and went for it. "Sora?" he called out.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

The brunet was taken aback by Roxas' words. He didn't understand at all; what was it that Roxas was sorry for? If anything, the one who should have said so wasn't Roxas, but he himself. "What are you sorry for?" he asked.

"I'd really like to share with you…" Roxas' voice trailed off a bit. "But it's gonna need some time explaining. Are you okay with that?"

"Hey, I'm here to listen. Whatever it is that you wanna say, just say it."

Roxas felt ever so grateful to Sora for agreeing to listen to him, so without further ado, he began. "Well, you see… I've been very stubborn," he admitted. To his surprise, he found it rather easy to follow up. "I know you were only trying to help, but still… I've been a total jerk."

Dumbfounded, Sora arched his eyebrows. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

And so, Roxas told Sora everything he had been keeping to himself. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but the words just streamed uninhibited from his heart and out of his mouth. It was as though something had taken control of his will and there was nothing he could do about it, although he wouldn't want to anyway; Roxas had to see this through to gain Sora's forgiveness.

Sora wanted to respond to, but he figured he would wait until his brother had finished voicing out what he had to say; he knew he could use a lending ear. He continued listening to Roxas as he spoke about how terrible he had been feeling for envying him for being a better person. It all culminated. Basically, he repeated what he had said to his father and mother, only this time, he was speaking directly to the person he wanted to gain forgiveness from.

Roxas also confessed that he had harboured hate toward Sora to some extent, especially a few weeks following Ven's death. Now he knew his brother had meant no harm at all with his desire to always be there for support, but that time, it had been different. Roxas had been the one who had received the hardest blow, and because of his jumbled-up emotions, he had thought Sora's willingness to help as a mockery of some sort. That was why he had distanced himself from his brother and refused to offer support in any form for him.

Finally, Roxas wrapped up. He was astounded by his own action; everybody knew that he was a normally reserved person, which was proven by how he would never open up to any other person besides Ven. This time around, though, he had betrayed himself by letting Sora know everything that was in his mind, and it was perhaps the first time he had done so.

However, there was no denying that he felt light after voicing it all out. It was as though a huge and heavy burden, one that he had longed to be relieved of, had been lifted from his shoulders. He finally got rid of everything from his head, but he mustn't be too quick to be glad; he still needed to know whether or not Sora would forgive him for all the wrong he had done.

Sora was dumbfounded. He hadn't thought Roxas had been through so much struggle with himself. "… I dunno what to say. It's just… I've never thought you've been thinking about all that stuff all this time."

"Trust me, I have no idea how I actually managed to live with that. But yeah… I've told you everything," replied Roxas.

"But I still don't understand… why did you have to apologise?" Sora asked back in confusion.

"Because I'm at fault?"

"Man, you say the weirdest stuff sometimes… but listen to me. I know we've bumped heads over something several times in the past, but you should've known better than anyone else that I can't be mad with you."

"You're not mad at me?"

Sora shook his head gently. "Naw. Not at all, Rox. And don't belittle yourself and think you've failed, because you haven't. It's not like you at all, and… and hearing it coming from a great brother makes me feel very sad. Don't feel like that, okay?"

Roxas felt as though he had experienced the past all over again. Even though Sora could sometimes get too far, he had always been cheery enough to make him crack a smile. "Well, I guess I won't anymore. So… do I have your forgiveness?"

"I told you, you don't need to apologise. But if you wanna play the stubborn guy about it…" Sora paused for a while, then gave Roxas the warmest, biggest, most fraternal hug he had ever given in his life. "Yeah. I forgive you."

A surge of relief coursed from the top of Roxas' head to the tip of his toe. "Thanks, Sora. You don't know how much it means to me," he said, reciprocating Sora's hug with his own.

Completely overjoyed, Roxas savoured what little time he had in this world, and also with Sora. He had gained his forgiveness, and that was all he needed to know. He was glad that his decision to spend his final night with the soul he wanted to save hadn't been in vain. Without knowing, he shed a single tear of joy, but managed to wipe it off his face before Sora noticed it.

Yes, he had no regrets. Now, all that he would bring to the life beyond was a collection of happy memories, and when they finally got to meet each other again, he would personally tell Ven about everything.


	5. Conviction

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

Now that he and Roxas had finally come to terms, Sora's mood had became brighter than before. He had promised himself that upon being discharged, the first thing he would do was to have some sea-salt ice cream together with Roxas to celebrate their healed relationship.

That said, he still couldn't bring himself to be over-the-top happy, which came as highly unusual even to himself. He thought it must have had something to do with this sensation gnawing from inside. This was the sensation he had felt earlier on; for some reason, he knew something was up, although he couldn't exactly pinpoint why.

It was at this moment that thoughts about Roxas came across his mind, seemingly out of the blue.

Sora diverted his attention from the television show for a while to think. Not that he questioned Roxas' motives, but he found it somewhat difficult to believe that Roxas was the one who had initiated the conversation earlier. The manner in which he had delivered his purpose and intent had been very solemn and thoughtful, too. Although Sora knew the older boy really meant it with his words, it was as though something had made him do it—a compelling force of some sort, as he put it. What it was exactly, he didn't know.

Although he tried to steer his mind away from it and focus on some other happier thoughts, his efforts were in vain. Somehow it always managed to home back to this particular one. Needless to say, he was slowly getting more and more worried about it.

That said, when he spent slightly more time thinking about it, maybe he had gotten too worked up over nothing. For a moment there, he had forgotten that he was currently stricken by a lethal disease, which kind of explained Roxas' unusual behaviour. Had Roxas been in his situation right now, he would have done the same. No questions needed to be asked; in case they had not enough time, making amends before it was too late was a very sensible thing to do.

Suddenly, fear washed over Sora's body and seized his entire being. His stomach churned violently for a gruelling second. He shuddered as he felt as though all the blood in his veins had been replaced by a stream of cold water. He might just have found out what the sensation was all about, and his pupils dilated several times their original size at this possibility.

'No, no way…' he thought inwardly. It was evident that dread had begun to overcome him. 'Am I… could it be that—'

"Hey, Sora?"

Said boy was brought back to reality by Roxas' voice. He looked up to face him; radiant sapphire eyes were fixed on his own, a slight glimmer of worry present in their depths.

"Are you okay?" asked the older twin.

"Oh, um, yeah. I'm… I was just thinking about something," Sora lied. With that highly unnerving thought lingering in his mind, looking at Roxas' face made him even more frightened, although he managed to keep his turbulent emotions at bay. "What is it?"

"We've run out of water, so I'm gonna go down and buy some. And perhaps something to munch on, too. Do you want me to buy anything for you?" asked Roxas again.

Sora shook his head weakly. "No, I think I'm good…"

The blonde acknowledged it with a shrug. He then took his jacket from the wardrobe and stepped toward the door. "Okay then. I'll be back in a minute."

Just before Roxas could reach out to the door handle, the sound of the short form of his name caught his attention. A small grin made its way to his lips; he just knew Sora would change his mind and ask him to bring back something for him. Knowing his brother who had a penchant for sugar, the snacks of his interest would most probably be chocolates and sweets…

… but when he turned around, his beaming smile dropped.

There, sitting at the edge of the bed, was his brown-haired brother. His countenance was unreadable, but Roxas could see traces of anxiety and soon, full-fledged fear. Then, to his utter shock, Sora got off the bed, rushed toward him, seized his wrist so hard it actually hurt, and started pleading hysterically for him not to go.

Totally confused and afraid at the same time, Roxas did the only thing he could think of: trying to calm Sora down. "H-hey, what's wrong? What happened, Sora?"

"Don't leave me… I don't wanna be all alone!" replied Sora.

"What's gotten into you? There's nothing to be afraid of."

"No! Please, Rox, don't go…"

Roxas was completely at loss. He just didn't understand, what could have triggered this shift of Sora's mood? Not even five minutes earlier he had still been content for being able to be with him, and then he just snapped and went all hysterical, spurting out words he couldn't understand. Sure, Sora could be such an emotional rollercoaster sometimes, but never had he thought the extent could be this dramatic.

Figuring his brother could really use a helping hand, Roxas guided Sora back to the bed and helped him sit down. He really couldn't blame him, though; both of them were scheduled to undergo a major surgery tomorrow, and they had every reason to be nervous. Yes, Roxas managed to stay optimistic and collected because he had readied himself, but as for Sora… it looked like the pressure was starting to overcome him.

Roxas stayed for a few minutes for support. It took him some time, but he finally managed to calm Sora down. "There you go. Pull yourself together. I'll buy you something, okay?" he offered. "What do you want? Milk? Green tea?"

"… green tea."

"How about something to eat? I'll see if they've got cheesecake. You want it, right?"

Only a weak nod was given this time, but it was enough. Before leaving, Roxas helped Sora lay down on the bed again and passed him the handheld game console to play with. With a smile, he promised that he wouldn't be gone for long.

"Do you have to go, Rox?" asked the younger boy.

"Yeah… otherwise we'll have nothing to drink. Remember what the doctor said? You need to stay hydrated," came Roxas' reply. He then gave Sora a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I promise I'll be back before you know it. Sit tight, okay?"

With that, Roxas made his exit from the room, this time uninterrupted. Truth be told, he didn't want to leave Sora all by himself like that, but someone had to go and get that water. Who else would it be if not him, the fittest of the two?

Unfortunately, he had left too soon. He failed to notice this plaintive expression lingering in Sora's face, an expression that quite possibly indicated his knowledge of something he might have been better off not knowing…

* * *

As he navigated through the labyrinthine, eerily quiet corridors of the floor he was on, Roxas wondered if Sora would be able to handle the stress further down the road. For all he knew, what had happened could have well been only the tip of an iceberg. He'd hate to think of the real possibility of the pressure slowly overwhelming Sora.

At that thought, he felt his foundation of faith sway violently. Earlier, when Sora did panic, he had been very, very afraid inside. He feared not only for Sora's well-being, but also for himself. Even if he was ready to give his own life to his brother, would he be able to stay strong were that same person he would like to save to go through another episode of hysteria? Would he be able to comfort Sora and assure that everything was going to be alright for him? He didn't know.

And then it came to him, a very grim and frightening thought. After the surgery, how would Sora react upon finding out that the heart donor was him? Had he instilled some sort of false hope in his brother by leading him to believe they would walk the path of life hand-in-hand, just like those times in the past, after everything had come to pass? He knew for a fact that it wouldn't be possible at all, so was it that he had lied to Sora?

At the lift lobby, while waiting for the car to arrive, Roxas drew a deep breath and let it out with an audible sigh. "Ven…" he whispered ever so softly. "Give us strength…"

* * *

"One chicken pie, a slice of cheesecake, a can of green tea, and two bottles of mineral water. That'd be one thousand and five hundred twenty munny, please," said the cashier as she handed a bag of beverages to Roxas. She then placed the pie in the oven and set the timer to high for several minutes. "I'm pretty sure you're not gonna like eating a frozen pie, so let me just heat it up for you real quick."

Roxas took his wallet out of his pocket, counted his notes and coins, and gave her the exact amount of money. "Sure, thanks. Here's the money."

"A thousand, one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty. Perfect. Thanks so much," the blond lady flashed a friendly smile. The cash register gave out an audibly pleasant 'ding' shortly afterward, signifying the completion of their transaction. "You're lucky, you know? This is the last slice of cheesecake. For your supper?"

Roxas nodded in response. "I'm not gonna eat everything, though. That cheesecake and the green tea are for my brother."

"Ah, I see. You could've brought him along, you know. It could get a bit lonely here at night."

"I would have, but he's… waiting for me in the room."

"The room? Is your brother…" the cashier trailed off. She seemed to be carefully considering what she was about to say, not wanting to offend the boy. "Is he being treated here?"

"Yeah, he is."

There was silence. The cashier looked quite embarrassed for having brought a topic she suspected the boy wouldn't like to talk about. She apologised—Roxas just waved it away with a slack motion of his hand—and returned to her notebook, recording the earnings of the day since she would be closing the cafeteria in less than ten minutes.

While waiting for his pie, Roxas found himself transfixed by the sight of the young adult. She was perhaps in her early twenties, the range of age where a lot of girls were at the apex of their beauty. She had this most peculiar hairdo; her blond, shoulder-length hair was slicked back, leaving only two strands that plainly refused to yield to gravity, not unlike a pair of antennae, but for some reason it looked perfectly fine on her. Slim and slender, she moved around in grace and elegance.

But it wasn't her physique that captivated Roxas. It was her expression.

Just by looking at her face, Roxas could tell that she was exhausted beyond belief. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, considering the cafeteria was open for business from the morning. However, her viridian eyes radiated nothing but determination, happiness, and sense of satisfaction. More than anything, never once had he seen her without that genuine smile on her face.

Roxas felt like initiating a conversation with this amiable-looking soul; he then shot a question. "How long is your shift today?"

"Hmm? Oh, I work here from the morning," replied the cashier.

"Wow, really?" Roxas was taken aback. He hadn't thought she had been working on a full-day shift. "That makes it… fourteen hours! Doesn't it tire you out?"

She chuckled. "Yeah. It's tough, but it has to be done."

"And you come to work every day?"

"Oh, no. Five days a week is all."

"Fourteen hours a day… five days a week? That's amazing…"

"That's good enough for me. I can still spend some time with my little sister over the weekend."

Before he knew it, Roxas had focused his attention on to the cashier who was talking about her little family. Her parents had died a few months ago in a car accident, so it was now all up to her to earn enough to support both herself and sister. The latter had dreams of enrolling into the most prestigious high school in town; because she couldn't bear the thought of seeing her dreams getting crushed, and also because she had faith in her, the young adult searched far and wide for a job before finally settling on this one.

She didn't mind her odd working hours at all, so long as she could earn enough to ultimately help her sister realise her dream. She too would like to see it come true, more than anything else. That was why although the work was tiring, she put all her heart into it. That helped explain why she was so determined and joyful in her work. She had to stay strong in order to support her sister all the way through.

"Sometimes it's crazy how people are willing to do… well, crazy stuff for others. But if it's for the sake of someone you really love and care about, you'd do it even if it breaks you," she finally concluded.

"But your sister… isn't she sad that you have to leave her for so many hours a day?" asked Roxas, sadness present in his voice.

"At first, she was, but she managed. She believes I'm doing this for her good, too," she replied. "I guess I'm blessed to have an understanding and loving sister, although she could be quite annoying sometimes. Hee-hee."

Roxas was awakened. Never had he known that a conversation with a stranger could be such a wake-up call. It might be only be a serendipitous coincidence that he could relate to the cashier in his current state, but he didn't care. Her life was nothing short of inspirational, and he sure would like to borrow some of her virtues if it had been possible at all.

The boy looked up and smiled at the cashier. "That's amazing… you're a wonderful sister, uh…"

"Arlene. And thanks. I'm just trying to make her happy, you see," she said. "Nice to meet you. And you are?"

"I'm Roxas," he said. He offered his hand, and it was reciprocated with a gentle, rather motherly handshake. "Nice to meet you too, Arlene."

They were interrupted by yet another 'ding' sound, this time slightly more melodious and less metallic than before. Arlene walked over to the oven, opened it, and muttered a playful "yummy", which meant Roxas' order was now ready. And sure enough, there it was; Arlene brought before him a piping hot, mouth-watering slice of pie with chicken and cream filling, its fragrant aroma permeating the air and sadistically stimulating the sense of smell.

"It's all yours. Careful, it's hot," she said as she dexterously wrapped the pie in a paper packaging and handed it with care to the boy. "Don't wanna burn your hands now, do we? Trust me, it hurts like no tomorrow."

Roxas chuckled at Arlene's hyperbolic, yet amusing, sense of humour. Now that he had everything with him, he prepared to leave. Arlene assisted him by keeping the door open for him while he exited the cafeteria, earning her a smile and a word of gratitude from him.

Before he left, he made sure to thank her for having chased the cloud of doubt away from his mind. "Hey, Arlene?"

"Yup?"

"Thanks for your story. You've given me something when I needed it most… courage."

Although the lady didn't know how she had been of some help, she gave a smile. The fact remained that she had helped him, and she was glad. "You're welcome, kiddo. Good night."

* * *

Roxas walked back to Sora's room with a burden significantly lighter than when he had departed. Hearing Arlene's take on life had been a godsend for him as it helped a lot in regaining his confidence in himself. Now he was no longer afraid of himself not being able to stay strong; he could, and he would. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but eventually, his endeavours were going to pay off big time in the form of Sora's happiness.

Smiling, he entered the lift car with a skip, much like an overjoyed kid. He normally wouldn't let his emotions show in public, but there was no one around since it was already late at night. He pressed the button with the number 13 beside it, and relaxed as the door closed and the car moved upward.

"Yeah, I'm gonna see this through, too," he assured himself. "I'll keep rooting for you, Sora, until you win the fight. And you will—huh? What?"

Suddenly, Roxas felt lightheaded and very dizzy. The pulsating sensation in his head had come from nowhere. He had to hold on to the wall for support so as not to collapse. Stooping his head, he put his hand to his forehead, hoping to chase the strange sensation away. Once he had felt slightly better, he lifted his head…

… and saw a blonde boy with eyes of sapphire standing in front of the lift door. Smiling. And yes, facing him.

"WHOA! What the—!"

As quickly as the boy came into view, he had disappeared, faster than a blink of an eye. Of course it went without saying that Roxas was terrified beyond belief by this apparition. However, something suddenly clicked in his head; with his heart thumping furiously, he struggled to rally his scattered thoughts and try to recall the face of the boy.

And when he finally did, he gasped in disbelief.

Even though he only saw the phantom for a fraction of a second, he already knew his identity. That sand-coloured hair, those blue eyes, that perpetually happy childish face… Roxas only knew one person in the world who fitted those descriptions, and it was Ven. Yes, Ven, his late older brother whom he looked just like.

Panting heavily through his mouth, Roxas tried to calm himself down. He couldn't believe he had just seen an apparition of Ven. It had felt so real as though he had just came across someone tangible and in his corporeal form. He had thought things like that hadn't been possible! And even such kind of things were possible, what business would Ven want here in the land of the living? He simply couldn't wrap his mind around it.

The lift finally reached the thirteenth floor where Sora's room was located at. Before stepping out of the car, Roxas took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. When he was ready, he took his bag of food and drink and stepped out to the corridor.

However, that strange sensation assaulted him again, albeit more powerfully. It was enough to bring Roxas to his knees. "Ugh… what's going on here?" he cried.

The sensation lingered for several long seconds before subsiding gradually. Roxas blinked his eyes several times, and when his mind was clear, he brought himself to sit down on the floor, his back against the wall. At this point of time cold sweat had begun running down his face; to say that he was nervous, frightened, shocked, and confused at the same time would be an understatement.

"Rox…"

All of a sudden, he heard a familiar yet bone-chilling whisper of his name. At the same time, he perceived a movement at the very edge of his field of vision. Out of reflex, he turned his head to the direction of the motion, although this time there was absolutely nothing immediately in front of him. There was something—or rather someone—else, though.

At the very end of the corridor he was facing, before a window, a boy with brown hair stood with his back facing him. Although his face wasn't visible, Roxas immediately identified him as Sora. However, before he could stand up and approach him, another figure came out from the bend near Sora; it was Ven, looking exactly like the apparition he had seen earlier in the lift car.

Roxas saw Ven greeting Sora, who finally turned around and showed his excited expression. The older boy, with that childish grin he had missed so bad, offered his hand, and Sora took it without hesitation. They were now walking hand-in-hand toward—yes, toward, not away from—the window, and stole a glance at Roxas, a glance that rendered him frozen stiff on the spot. Ven and Sora smiled, and just like that, they disappeared again.

Roxas didn't like this in the slightest bit. He didn't understand the reason why he had been seeing all these things; it was very surreal to say the least. Someone was trying to tell him something, but what exactly, he had no idea. What, indeed? Visions involving the phantoms of his brothers, what could they possibly mean?

Then it suddenly dawned on him.

"Oh no… Sora!"

Unspeakable dread struck him with the force of a runaway train. He cursed himself for failing to be more perceptive. Leaving his plastic bags behind, he darted toward Sora's room in a speed he didn't know he was capable of reaching. His heart was racing even faster than he could run; in his head, Roxas screamed and prayed vehemently that nothing bad had happened to his brother.

'Is that it? Is that why you didn't want me to leave? Can you… can you really sense it when it's about time?' he thought inwardly. Focusing his thought on Sora, he muttered some words under his breath, as though by doing so he was able to establish a telepathic link with him. "Sora, you're gonna make it. Hang in there! You're not going anywhere, not before that surgery!"

Before he could notice it, he found himself in front of the door to Sora's room. Without regards to privacy, he turned the knob and barged inside.

"SORA!"


	6. Invitation

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

"SORA!"

Roxas opened the door with such force it almost broke free of its hinges. He didn't know what to think; after everything he had just gone through, he just prepared himself for the worst. Panting furiously, he gave the room a quick scan and held his breath.

Very much to Roxas' relief, Sora was fine. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him sitting on the bed. However, Sora was visibly surprised, but not because Roxas had suddenly barged into the room; instead, it was as though he hadn't expected the fact that he just entered the room again.

In his surprise, Sora managed to utter an incomplete sentence. "Rox, how did you…?"

"How did I what?" asked Roxas. "Are you okay, Sora? You're not… you're not hurt or anything, are you?"

"I'm not, but… you scared me! I thought you were already inside the room!"

"What? No, I just came back."

"C'mon, stop fooling around. You were standing right there," Sora pointed at the spot where Roxas was currently standing. "You were facing the other way and didn't answer when I called."

"Wait, I don't understand. Are you saying that I was already in the room BEFORE I came in?"

Sora nodded nervously. "That's what I was saying. I hope you're not messing around with me, Rox, because you're seriously freaking me out."

After some thought, Roxas finally put two and two together and shuddered at the realisation. If Sora's words were to be taken as true, it was possible that he had just seen an apparition of Ven, just like what he had experienced in the lift car and along the corridor. When he thought about it, he was almost a carbon copy of his late brother; Sora must have confused Ven with him, especially because he only saw him from behind. Crazy as it might sound, it had to be the most sensible reason.

But he still didn't understand. Why would Ven suddenly appear to both of them? Yes, he had heard stories about people being visited by their late beloved in times of distress, but those accounts were anecdotal at best without scientific proof to back them up. So was that the reason? Was Ven trying to say something to them? Or did he come because he felt one them—who was himself—was about to depart soon?

Although Roxas had experienced it first-hand, he still found it hard to bring himself to believe. His head hurt just thinking about it, so he deliberately kept silent about his encounter earlier on, especially the second one in which Sora had made his appearance along with Ven. Who knew what his brother would say or how it would impact his psychological condition should he reveal everything to him.

"I think you're just tired," he said as he walked toward the wardrobe to hang his jacket. "You know people see things when they're tired, right?"

"You mean I was hallucinating?" asked Sora. What he got as his reply was a nod. "But then, who… what did I see? I swear it was you."

"Sora, I told you, I just came in. There's no way you didn't see me almost breaking the door."

Having run out of retorts, Sora sighed in defeat. Besides, Roxas was telling nothing but the truth; he did see him entering the room in a rather uncivilised manner. "Okay, you win. I guess I really am tired."

"Told you. Now why don't we have some snack together and—oh man…"

"What is it now?"

Roxas held his palm against his face and shook his head. "I left the bags in front of the lift…"

Sora gave the blonde a strange look. "How's that even possible? And why did you bust the door like that? And why did you think I was hurt? Are you high or something?"

Roxas decided not to answer to that chain of questions, because if he did, divulging the details he wanted to keep to himself would eventually become an inevitable necessity. He just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and apologised, then asked Sora to wait for a while. However, said boy plainly refused; he insisted to accompany his brother despite having said he was tired—which was actually true.

"Sora—"

"Nope. I'm going with you. I'm not gonna stay here all by myself to see another one of those… ghosts, I guess," Sora interjected. "Besides, it's not like you to forget something, so I have to make sure you don't do it again. What if you leave your ding-a-ling behind this time?"

At those words, Roxas forgot about his worry and burst out in a bout of laughter. He had missed that so much about Sora—his childishness. "You've got some nerve!" he said.

With that, they both went out, although Sora needed to walk with Roxas' support; not only was he tired, he was also weak. After walking for quite a distance, they managed to retrieve the plastic bags that, fortunately, were still there. Upon returning to the room, Roxas opened the green tea and poured it into two cups to be shared among themselves and initiated a toast.

"Cheers," he said, raising his cup in the air. He then flashed a sadly sweet smile. "For your recovery."

Sora stayed silent for a moment, but eventually smiled, gave a small nod, and said a single, almost inaudible "yeah". Yes, despite the fact that the atmosphere was light, he just couldn't stop thinking about this strange, almost foreboding feeling he had been feeling. It was true that right now it wasn't as bad as it had been earlier on, but still…

Sora didn't want to ruin this moment of happiness, though, so he decided to keep it to himself. Although he had planned to talk to Roxas about it, he figured doing it tomorrow would be more fruitful since he too many things had been running in his head; he could use some rest for now since he had become too sleepy as well.

Not a single word was spoken while they were eating, but the silence was comfortable. After they finally finished their respective snacks, they brushed their teeth, and Roxas took the initiative to help wash the saucers. He told Sora to just relax and perhaps go to bed earlier if he willed, and so he did.

After a while, Roxas emerged from the bathroom and seemed ready to hit the hay, calling it a day. Just like Sora, he was tired, and he had to stay fit and be well-rested in preparation for the surgery taking place tomorrow. When he approached Sora, he saw that he had already been ensnared by the irresistible charms of slumber, his face showing an uncanny mix of expressions such as peace, nervousness, happiness, and sadness. Letting out a sigh, Roxas gave him a pat on the shoulder before making his way to the sofa where he would be sleeping.

It came to him as no surprise that he found it difficult to wind down, what with all the bizarre happenings he and Sora had gone through. After fifteen minutes of tossing and turning, he still struggled just to bring his mind to a state of peace. Not even covering his face with his pillow helped; that image of his older brother kept flashing in his mind, which just made sleeping all the more difficult.

Rather frustrated, Roxas sat up and sent the pillow flying across the room. 'Ven, what is it that you're trying to tell us?' he asked in his mind.

He thought taking a hot shower would help, so he did just that. Fortunately it did, since he felt his mind felt lighter right now. After getting all dressed up, he poured himself a mug of water, retrieved the pillow that had made its landing by the door leading outside, and tried his luck again in following Sora into la-la land. This time, he managed to do it easily, and in no time he felt his consciousness slipping away from his being…

"Rox, still awake?"

… but Sora's voice snapped him out of his trance.

Roxas rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Nope."

"That's so funny I can't even laugh," replied Sora dryly.

"Seriously, I would've fallen asleep if not because of you," the blonde said as he sat up to see his brother sitting on the bed. "What's up, anyway? I thought you were already snoring."

"The sofa sure looks big and comfortable."

"You woke me up just to tell me that? Thanks a lot, Sora. But sorry to disappoint you, I'm pretty sure the bed is more comfortable."

"Does it have enough space for two?"

Roxas blinked several times. With an amused face, he asked if Sora wanted to sleep on the sofa, a question which was answered with a nod. The sofa was quite big and there was indeed enough space, but he wondered why Sora would rather inconvenience himself like that. However, he soon comprehended why.

He knew this was his last night together with Sora, so why not let him do anything as long as it didn't threaten his condition for the worse? Naturally, he wanted to savour every last bit of their togetherness, too. With that in mind, Roxas' expression softened and he granted Sora permission.

Sora practically jumped off the bed—to Roxas' chagrin—and immediately took his place right at the other boy's side. He flinched at how hard the sofa was compared to the bed, but he made himself comfortable nonetheless and initiated a light conversation with Roxas that lasted for ten minutes or so. He didn't know why, but right now, being near to his brother eliminated the feelings of nervousness and sadness he had been feeling for some time, although not entirely.

After running out of topic, they finally decided it was time to sleep. Roxas took the bed sheet that was sprawled unceremoniously on the bed, then used it to cover Sora so he wouldn't get too cold in his sleep. This act of kindness gained him a heartfelt expression of gratitude from the brunet.

"Anything for you," replied Roxas as he lay down on the sofa beside his brother. "Okay, time to sleep. Good night, Sora."

"Night, Rox. Sleep tight."

And just like that, they drifted into peaceful slumber.

* * *

_Sora woke up to a faint whisper of his name, but when he looked around, he was in an unfamiliar place—or more specifically, space, because he really wouldn't classify the location he was at as a 'place' per se._

_"Where am I?" he mumbled while rubbing his eyes. "Is this… a dream?"_

_He was floating in a void of nothingness. All he could see around him was fuzzy, pink cloud-like substance that seemed to be so near, yet so far from him at the same time. He soon lost his bearing and could no longer differentiate up from down. Not only that, he had no control over his body; when he tried to flail his limbs in order to navigate around, they just refused to comply. It was a surreal experience to say the least._

_"Definitely a dream," he concluded._

_In his confusion, Sora heard that voice again, this time clearer than before. It kept calling him, and with every instance it became louder than before. He really couldn't determine whether he was heading toward the source of the voice or it was heading toward him. What he did notice, though, was that it sounded like Roxas although slightly deeper in pitch._

_With one final call, the pink cloud surrounding him abruptly dissipated into thin air, revealing a familiar, important place: a field of flowers by the sea. Sora was floating above it, and in the distance he could see a beautiful headstone shaped like a heart sitting on top of a T-shaped rhomboid spikes. Someone who looked like Roxas stood by the headstone, facing away from Sora._

_"This garden… Ven's grave?"_

_After drifting for who knew how long, Sora felt the tug of gravity. Slowly he lost elevation and gently landed on the now tangible ground. Since he couldn't make any sense of anything, he decided to just be bold and interrogate the boy by the headstone. He was bound to be able to answer at least one or two of the questions thrown at him._

_However, when he was just a few steps away from him, the boy spoke without even turning around. "I've been waiting for you, Sora."_

_Sora was of course surprised. He could for the life of him understand how someone could do that without looking. "Rox, what are you doing here?" he asked._

_"Beep. One strike. Wanna try again?"_

_It was then that the puzzle pieces arranged themselves nicely in Sora's head. When he did a double take, the boy was actually a few centimetres taller than him, who was as tall as Roxas. Also, he mentally slapped himself for having failed to notice the outfit the boy wore, of all things. Instead of a white overshirt with checkerboard pattern running around the chest, his was a bicolour one: the left-hand half was all black while the right-hand one white._

_Now knowing who the boy was, Sora found it hard to construct a coherent sentence. "It can't be. Am I… dreaming? Oh, hold on, I am… but you're__…_"

_"Well, yeah, we're in your dream, silly," the boy replied. One didn't need to see his face to know that he was smiling playfully._

_"Ven…? Is that you?"_

_The boy in question gave a chuckle and finally turned around to reveal himself. There he was, a vision of what Roxas would look like four years into the future, standing by the headstone bearing his own name. For a good ten-second period, blue stared into blue; the older boy produced that signature grin of his as the younger brother's lips slowly parted into a smile of his own and dashed toward him._

_"Ding-dong. Hi, Sora. Long time no see, huh?"_

* * *

_Post-note: The spiked heart is the symbol of Mark of Mastery. In Birth by Sleep, this mark is also featured prominently in Ven's final Awakening, so I took the liberty to adopt it as his symbol, much like Sora's crown and Roxas' cross. I absolutely love those symbols for some reason, and I'm glad I could incorporate one of them in this story._


	7. Valediction

_Post-note: For this chapter, I'm not gonna italicise the scene taking place in Sora's dream. You'll be able to tell which one takes place in the dream, and which one in the real world. Also, it will be dialogue-heavy, so please pardon me if there is any instance of uncharacteristic depiction in how Ven and Sora speaks. I found writing dialogues for Sora hard because he's a very emotional guy whose mood can switch between happy to sad in a very short interval of time, but I hope I did well. It's gonna be a long chapter with so many things going on, so brace yourselves…_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

The time of the day was evening twilight, and Sora and Ven were currently sitting on the edge of the flower field, watching the waves crash against the shore. In the past, along with Roxas, they had loved to do that at weekend mornings, after which they would play in the water until breakfast was ready. Such was one of the perks of having a house by the seaside.

"Just like the old days, huh?" Ven spoke after a moment of silence.

"Yeah. I missed you so much, Ven."

"I missed you, too. And Roxas. And mom and dad," replied the blonde. "I wanted to talk to you earlier, but I couldn't."

"Earlier? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You saw me and thought I was Roxas."

"Hold on a second. You mean…"

Ven straightened his legs and leaned back, his hands supporting the weight of his body. "Yeah… sorry about that. I shouldn't have just showed up in your room like that. I didn't mean to surprise you."

"So it's you!" Sora shouted, his eyes wide. "You're that person I saw before Roxas went in. Why didn't you answer when I called?"

"That's how it's supposed to be for us spirits. We can't interact with those who are still alive… we can only give signs."

"And that's by entering the room without knocking?"

"My hand would've gone through the door. But at least you took it way better than Roxas."

"Huh? You met Roxas, too?"

"He, uh, kinda freaked out real bad," replied Ven while scratching his head sheepishly. "I showed up in front of him in the lift… but you should've seen his face. It was so funny!"

Sora mused for a while. He didn't remember Roxas mention anything at all about his encounter with Ven, but soon figured that it had to be the reason why he had been so distressed upon returning to the room. He was aware that his twin brother was a peculiar case of a boy; although Roxas didn't believe in the presence of ghosts, he was scared even by the simplest thought of them. Fear of the unknown, Ven had once remarked teasingly about him.

"Anyway, is something the matter? Why did you visit us?" Sora spoke up again. "I mean, it's not that I don't like it, but it was your first time in six years and I was a bit shocked."

Ven's expression tensed a bit. The time had come for him to reveal the purpose of his visit, which was no easy thing to do. Since he had been watching over them all along, Ven knew a thing or two that would happen to his younger brothers. He had to admit that although he was impressed and touched by Roxas' sincere courage, he was slightly disappointed by his decision to keep everything a secret. He believed Sora deserved to know the truth and should be allowed to at least make a choice.

"Well, you see, there's a reason why I brought you here," he said. "I need you to listen to me very carefully."

"Was there a time when I didn't listen to you?" asked Sora.

The blonde chuckled at those words and gave his brother a slap on the back. "You never listened to me. Even to mom and dad. You and Roxas… you twin troublemakers."

"But you always bailed Roxas out of his problems, and he always came to you."

In reply, Ven wrapped his arm around the fifteen-year-old's shoulder and pinched his cheek. Some things would never change; even now he still saw them as little kids. "Aww, is someone jealous? Hmm?"

"Nope, I'm cool with that. It's just…" Sora's voice trailed off. "You know the guy's very secretive. He likes keeping things to himself."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"I was always afraid it would hurt him, so every time you managed to cheer him up, it made me happy. It was always you. Never dad, never mom. Sometimes it was me, but he was most comfortable with you. But after you… um…"

"After I died?"

Sora cringed. He didn't want to use that word, but Ven didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he said that in a very casual way, and that characteristic smile of him was even thrown in for free. Ven assured that it was alright; although it had been very sad and lonely at first, he had gotten comfortable with his current state because, well, it really wasn't as bad as some people liked to make it sound. Plus, although he couldn't interfere, he was able to watch over Sora and Roxas all the time.

The brunet carried on. "Yeah, after that time. Roxas just… well, you know, he kinda just hid himself from everyone. I tried to help him, but he didn't listen, and we just stopped talking to each other. I was sad for a long time, you know… because we used to be so close. I thought we drifted apart because of me."

"But you two made up," said Ven.

"Yeah, we did, but—wait, you knew?"

The sight of a very surprised Sora managed to elicit an amused laughter from Ven. "What, are you saying I can just turn away from my super naughty brothers? Leave you two for a second and you're bound make a mess," he said while ruffling Sora's hair. "That's what Ventus Skylers the Guardian Angel is always around for. To watch over you guys."

"We're not kids anymore, Ven." Sora said with a pout. However, he made no attempt to stop Ven from messing his hair because he liked it.

"Which is why you made up. Setting differences aside isn't that easy, you know."

Ven was correct. Sora used this time to think again of Roxas' confession leading to their reconciliation last night. It had revealed to him how he had borne the pain all by himself. Although the tension between them had come to pass, he still wished he could have done something to ease the burden.

Also, despite what Ven had just said, Sora believed he wasn't the one who deserved the credit. Previously, Roxas had been envious of him for being more popular and ever so positive in his outlook in life, but he came up with the initiative to apologise. That must have required a great deal of acceptance and humility on Roxas' part, which just showed how much more mature his twin was compared to him.

He then shot his older brother a question. "Are you happy, Ven?"

"Of?" the blonde asked back.

"Us? I mean, Roxas and me?"

"Do you even need to ask? You know I am," Ven replied with a smile. "You two are the best thing that has ever happened to me. What's not to be proud of?"

"But you wanted us to stay close. We screwed up. Didn't that make you sad?"

"It did, but… I knew you two always care about each other. Roxas may have envied you, but I'm pretty sure he can't hate you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Looks like you forgot I was someone's emotional trash can. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way too. Am I right?" asked Ven, gaining him a quiet but heartfelt "yeah" from his younger brother. "So, it's my turn to ask. Are you happy?"

Sora gave a weak nod. "I can't wait to get out of the hospital and reconnect with him after I forgot how long. It's gonna be like how we used to play and do everything together," he said. However, his eyes exhibited neither excitement nor anticipation. "… at least that's what I would've said, but I know I can't."

Hearing it, Ven became slightly alarmed. He knew that Sora's carefree attitude belied a strong sense of empathy, especially toward Roxas. "Tell me what you know, Sora. You can be honest with me."

After pondering for a moment, Sora spoke up. This was the first time he voiced out his concern about that ominous thought that had been plaguing his mind, one about which he wanted to talk with Roxas. "Ven… I'm not gonna make it, aren't I?" he asked, his voice weak as though whimpering.

Although the guess wasn't accurate per se, it was a very close shot. Ven could feel himself falter; at first he was firm in his decision to explain the situation to Sora, but now, he wasn't sure if he still had the same opinion. With Sora being all submissive and slightly pessimistic like this, he didn't know how to break the news, but it still had to be done.

Finally, Ven gathered his courage. "No."

For a moment, Sora's expression tensed. He bit his lower lip so hard it almost drew blood and sighed sadly. "I see… figured as much."

"Whoa, wait a second. What I meant by 'no' is, no, you're wrong," Ven corrected, much to Sora's surprise. "And why I asked you to listen to me very carefully… it's because of what I'm about to tell you."

"Are you hiding something from me?" asked Sora.

"Sora, you know I will never do that. I'm just… I wanna tell you this because I believe you deserve to know it."

"Tell me, then. What's this truth you're talking about?"

"Are you ready? This may change everything," said Ven again, to which Sora replied that he was ready. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This was the moment; there was no going back. "If you don't do anything, you'll keep on living."

Sora was at loss of words, his mouth agape. Did he hear it right? So his suspicion had been incorrect all along, but he still couldn't understand the meaning behind the premonition-like feeling he had been going through. With this revelation, he should be feeling happy, but right now he was torn. It had stirred up a storm of emotions inside.

But that wasn't all. He also found Ven's words enigmatic despite their simplicity. If he didn't do anything, he had said… the use of conditionals only made Sora more curious, if not slightly frustrated, than he had previously been. Why did Ven have to speak in such an indirect manner? There had to be a catch, that much he believed.

"But right now, we're in a very trying situation, Sora. First, I need you to tell me something," Ven continued before Sora was able to say anything.

"What is it that you need me to tell you?" asked the brunet, his voice uncertain as though filled with doubt. He wanted to believe Ven, but with the thought that there had to be something Ven was still keeping to himself, it was easier said than done.

"You know someone has decided to donate his heart to you, right?"

Sora replied with a nod.

"Okay, then… do you know that if that person does donate, he'll lose his life in the process?"

Another nod. He was starting to get uncomfortable of where this conversation would lead to.

"Do you know who that person is?"

This time, Sora shook his head. How he wished this would be over quickly.

"I think… it's best that you think and find out for yourself, Sora. I don't want you to think I'm lying to you…"

Sora almost lost it and snapped at Ven, but managed to restrain himself from doing so. He found himself following the advice; his mind began probing for answers from his current memories, looking for signs that he wasn't even sure were present. If it hadn't been for Ven, Sora would have dropped it since he felt like trying to find a needle in a stack of hay.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

It was then that his focus suddenly locked on his Roxas. As suspicion turned into realisation, Sora froze. His face went up several values in lightness, his pupils dilated several times its original size, and his body tensed up. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning. So that was why he had been experiencing this strange, unknown feeling…

Again, Sora called himself names for having failed to notice the signs from earlier. Roxas' initiative to apologise, the overly solemn manner in which he had delivered his confessions… it was as though Roxas had been the one who wouldn't make it through. And now, as the pages unfurled and the facts were presented in plain sight, Sora fully comprehended why.

"It can't be…" he stuttered. "… the donor is… Roxas?"

Ven stooped his head and put his hand on Sora's shoulder. "He didn't even think twice. When Doctor Aqua told them the news, he just… Roxas just offered himself."

There it was, Sora's confirmation. It wasn't Ven who had been keeping something a secret. It was Roxas. And to make things even worse, this wasn't a trivial secret; it was one on which their lives literally depended on.

To say the least, Sora was completely and utterly devastated.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it more difficult for you. You deserve to know about this," Ven continued. He tried to sound as reassuring as he could possibly manage. "Roxas has been hiding it from you… he doesn't want you to worry about him."

Sora curled his fists into a ball and gritted his teeth. "What were you thinking, Rox…? Didn't you think of how I'd feel if I wake up to find you're not with us anymore?"

"Sora… he feels this is the only way he can redeem himself for all the things he's done in the past."

"But we've made up, Ven! Even that was an overkill! He didn't do anything wrong to me!" Sora finally snapped and stood up. It had gone too much for him to handle. "And wait. Before you say anything else, lemme guess. He thinks he can just do that because he feels life hasn't been all that good to him, so he decided to let me live!"

"Hey, don't jump into—"

"So it's true. I'm right, aren't I? He thinks he can give up that easily! He seriously thinks he can escape just because he's been having a hard, bad time! Rox, you're a… a coward!"

"Sora! How could you say that?" Ven hollered dangerously. He had seized Sora's wrists and was now casting a sharp, piercing gaze down his eyes. "I won't let anyone talk bad about my brothers. Not even either of you."

Sora cringed. Although he could be complicated at times, it was very atypical of Ven to get angry since he was a very laid-back and soft person in general. Even in the past he had never been seen with that happy-go-lucky attitude compromised whenever he or Roxas was around. When he did, though, someone must have gone too far; unfortunately for Sora, that someone was him in this case.

A feeling of guilt washed over Sora. He was completely flabbergasted by his own anger toward Roxas for his unquestionable kindness. "I'm sorry…"

"Are you calm now?" asked Ven. When he got an affirmative response, he eased his grip in Sora's hand. "Good. Thanks, Sora. I don't wanna hurt you or your feeling, so please… just listen to me now, okay?"

"Ven, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that about Roxas…" said Sora as he sat down again.

"Easy now. That's okay. I'm sorry I shouted at you," Ven apologised.

The two then spent some time in silence. Ven brought his attention to the tinges of yellow and red, brought about by the setting sun, dancing on the ocean surface. On the other hand, Sora couldn't bring himself to look ahead since he was still embarrassed at his earlier outburst; instead, he brought his knees to his chest and rested his forehead on them.

Ven took the initiative to get another conversation going. "Sora, are you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Sora replied without even lifting his head. "I'm just very sad that Roxas didn't tell me anything about this."

"Are you mad at him?" the older boy asked again.

"I am… but at the same time I'm not. I dunno, Ven. Funny, I'm not sure of what I should feel toward him."

"Look, Sora. I'm sure you're sad, but I don't want you to get mad at Roxas. You said it yourself that you can't ever hate him, right?"

"Well, yeah… but why? Why would he do that?"

"He's… well, you know, just trying to do what he has to do as a good brother."

"Does it have to be this way, Ven?" Sora finally lifted his head. "Isn't there anything else that can be done?"

Ven felt he must no longer withhold any information, so he divulged everything. He began by informing him that Roxas wasn't the first one to come up with the idea of donating his heart; before him, their parents had contemplated donating theirs. When Sora asked why they had allowed Roxas instead, Ven told him about all that genetic compatibility stuff: in theory, by transplanting Roxas' heart, Sora would have near-perfect chance of survival at the cost of the former's life.

Sora was awakened. At this point of time, he found it hard to contain his emotions any longer, and he let out a drop of tear—one of extremely bittersweet joy—followed by a few more. He unknowingly smiled, much to his own surprise. Because Roxas had shut himself from even him for so long, never had Sora known that he loved him so much to the point that he was willing to give up his own life for him. Realising this, his anger of his twin brother completely subsided, and he became even prouder of him.

"You said Roxas didn't even think twice?" he asked again as though seeking confirmation.

"If I were still alive, Sora, I would've done that, too," replied Ven. "Imagine if it was Roxas who was sick. What would you do?"

It was a rhetorical question, so Sora gave no answer. Even if he had to answer, he would have said he would do the same. "I see… that's why," he said instead. "So, Ven, the reason why you wanted to talk to me is… this?"

Ven nodded. "I'm sorry, Sora. I wish there was a better way I could've said it to you."

"No, don't apologise. You've done everything you could. It's okay. And now… I know."

"About?"

"… now I know everyone loves me. Mom, dad… and most of all, Roxas and you. That's all I need to know, and now I can finally decide."

"Decide? What do you—oh," Ven stopped when he suddenly realised what Sora was talking about. "Wait a second, Sora. Don't tell me…"

"I know I have to make a choice, Ven. You said it yourself. You said, 'If you don't do anything, you will live on.' I wanna do something. I know you can help me."

Ven's eyes widened in surprise. He was about to say it eventually, but he hadn't expected this youngest brother of his to beat him to the punch. "No, wait. I… I can't let you do that without enough time to think."

"But I've thought about it! And we know Roxas or I have not much time left. Drag this too long, and Roxas will… he'll lose his life saving mine. I don't wanna let that happen! I can't…"

"It's a very serious matter. You may still belong to the world! I don't want you to jump too far ahead, Sora!"

Sora raised his voice. "Do I look like I'm not being dead serious? I know what I'm doing."

The tone in which Sora spoke took Ven aback. Without even waiting for him to say something, Sora carried on. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the noble intention, but he felt that Roxas deserved to live on—scratch that, he needed to. Sora couldn't bear the thought of Roxas not having the opportunity to enjoy how exciting and fun life could be.

Now he knew how Roxas must have felt when making his leap of faith. In fact, he had put himself in his shoes right now. It was true after all that you would do anything for those you love so much; just as Roxas had decided to give up his life for him, Sora, too, decided to pass on to give his brother a chance. To love people and be loved by people, to savour each day as they came and went, to delight in the little joys of life… after all he had gone through, Sora wanted Roxas to experience them all, the things he had experienced in the past.

"I want Roxas to be happy, Ven. More than anything. I'm sure you do, too," he finally concluded.

Ven was still wide-eyed. He was cornered by Sora's sheer determination and had no chance to retaliate further. That said, a feeling of admiration slowly grew in his heart; it looked like both his little twin brothers were way stronger than he had given them credit for. A smile slowly made its way to Ven's lips, and soon he began to accept Sora's decision and fully appreciate it. He only regretted that one of them had to go earlier than he had gone, but there was nothing he could have done about it.

"You're not afraid Roxas will feel lonely?"

"No. He won't be alone, and he'll never be lonely," Sora gave a resolute answer. "Mom and dad will always be there for him, and us… we'll be watching over him. I dunno, it may sound sappy and all, but we'll always be in his heart. Like you've always been in ours."

At those words, Ven yielded completely. Who knew the youngest member of their family could be sweeter than the parents themselves? "Aww, Sora… you made big brother melt!" he cooed as he gave Sora a hug and snuggled his head against the spiky mess of brown hair.

Sora laughed his head off while trying to free himself from Ven's death cuddle. "Let me go! Man, you never grow up!"

"Boo-hoo, I don't care," Ven replied with a sing-song voice, just like how he had loved to speak to his brothers when they were still little tykes. "You and Roxas are still eight years old to me, so yeah, you're still a kid."

"I'll show you what an eight-year-old can do. Watch this!"

Somehow, Sora managed to break free of Ven's hold. He spotted a long, almost straight tree branch of some sort that had been washed up on the shore; with a mischievous grin, he snatched it, thought of it as a wooden sword, assumed a ready stance, and exhibited his prowess in kendo by commencing his onslaught on Ven.

The blonde was taken aback by Sora's finesse. He knew absolutely nothing about martial arts, so he could only defend himself without being able to retaliate. Knowing he wouldn't get any hit if it kept up, he ignored the blows and lunged toward Sora, causing them both to lose balance and fall.

What had started as a one-sided fight was now a free-for-all, no-holds-barred brawl; both Ven and Sora rolled back and forth on the sandy shoals in an attempt to overpower each other. The waves had no chance in suppressing the sound of lively, happy laughter coming from the two boys, and the sight was sure to warm the hearts of passers-by—if there had been any.

Having exhausted themselves, they lay unceremoniously on the sand, their limbs stretched out as far as possible. A dream it might be, but the happiness was real, and Sora couldn't deny it. That said, he still had some concerns, and he would like to talk about them with Ven. Otherwise, those thoughts might continue to haunt him even after he had moved on.

"Ven?"

"Yeah?"

"Will it hurt?"

Ven thought for a moment, seemingly attempting to recall how he had felt moments before his time came. "It's gonna hurt a bit. But it won't be long, and it'll go away right before you go. Do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

Sora swallowed. He admitted he was afraid, but he drew strength from the fact that he would be doing this for Roxas. "I'd do anything for him. You've been there and done that, haven't you?"

"Of course! I'd do anything for you and Roxas."

Those words were encouragement enough for Sora, and that was all he needed. "I can handle it," he said with resolution.

Ven smiled. He was glad Sora was able to take it better than he had expected. However, he still wanted to support him. "Look, Sora. When the time comes, I'll be there with you," he said in a reassuring manner. "If it becomes too painful, take my hand and hold it as tightly as you want. I'm not gonna leave you alone. Understand?"

Sora nodded in understanding, then thanked Ven for his support. Then, pondering over something, he fell silent for a while; Ven understood Sora was currently thinking about a very important matter, so he decided not to interfere.

A good minute had passed when Sora finally broke free of his wordless state. With damp eyes and sporting a melancholic smile, he asked for Ven's permission to return to the real world for a moment. When he was asked why, he explained that it was because he wanted to bid his farewell to Roxas.

Needless to say, Ven was shocked. "But that's so soon! Why would you wanna do that?" he asked. "I mean, you still have about half a day…"

"I know it sounds like a waste," Sora spoke in reply. "But I wanna do it while he's still sleeping. If he sees me go in front of him, it'd really, really stress him out… and I'm not sure if he could ever get over it…"

Ven shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother's impulsiveness. "You're making this sound like a child's play, Sora. How are you gonna say goodbye to Roxas when he's sleeping? And how about mom and dad? You won't be able to meet them again…"

That was right. Call him mean, but Sora hadn't considered his parents in the equation. However, he stated that by right his passing should come very swiftly and quickly; suddenly coming at the parents and telling them that he knew his time had come would do nothing but freak them out real bad. Sora had made his decision firm and final, and it was to leave as inconspicuously and stealthily as possible.

"… I seriously don't know what to think of you, Sora. You're just as unpredictable as ever…"

"I'm not gonna back out of my own words."

"Are you sure about this? I know this is your decision to make, but I… there's no turning back, and I really don't want you to regret it. For mom, dad, me, and Roxas… wouldn't you reconsider? Please?"

"Ven, I have no regrets. Besides, although I'll be leaving them, I won't be alone," replied Sora. He then adjusted his position so that he was leaning on Ven's right arm. "You're here with me. And I know you've been lonely all this time, so as long as I can make you feel better…"

Again, Ven was touched by his brother's words. For a moment there he felt as though he had influenced Sora's decision, so he apologised for that. Of course Sora wouldn't take it; he reiterated and ensured Ven that it was out of his own discretion. His mind was clear, his heart was strong, and his will was steadfast.

"You just proved to me that you're not a kid anymore. I think the little Sora I knew has grown up," said Ven, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. "… I'm gonna ask you for one last time, Sora. Are you very sure you're up to this?"

"How many times do I have to say it to convince you? I'm ready, Ven. For Roxas… and for his happiness."

"That means you won't be able to say goodbye to him. Well, unless you wanna wake him up from his sleep, that is."

"I told you he'd freak out if I do that. Besides, he's gotta be tired from watching over me… he could use some rest," replied Sora. "I'll say goodbye, but… not directly."

Ven gave a look of understanding. He would no longer question, let alone interfere with, Sora's course of action. He marvelled at how strong and noble his brothers had become; for all intents and purposes, they had grown into fine young men. They were no longer little children, and as such, Ven would leave it to them to decide how they were to live their lives. He could only give advices, and whether or not they would follow, he would always support them as long as it was all for a good cause.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had become moist and his small smile had grown. "Alright, I understand," he said as he put his hand on Sora's shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you. And when you're ready to go…"

"What should I do?"

"When you're ready, just… take my hand," replied Ven. Then, he ruffled Sora's hair, an act of affection usually done to comfort his little brothers when they were younger. "I'll be right beside you, and we'll go together. I won't leave you alone. You hear me?"

The younger boy was elated. He felt as though he had been the happiest boy in the world; having two brothers who cared for him more than anything else, what more could he ask for? He thanked Ven for that, and promised to thank Roxas as well for his unconditional kindness.

"Right. Go and do what you've gotta do, Sora."

In reply, Sora nodded gently. "… I'll see you soon, Ven."

* * *

The day had just broken, and the golden rays of the morning sun peeking through the curtain succeeded in waking Roxas up.

The blonde shielded his eyes from the beam, mumbling silently about how the sun always managed to land a headshot on him despite being an astronomical unit away. He stood up, stretched furiously, and, still in that incoherent, zombie-like state of his, walked toward the table to pour himself some water before proceeding to wash his face in the bathroom.

While doing so, he recalled his rather weird dream. Vaguely, Roxas remembered about how someone seemed to hug him tenderly in his sleep, although he couldn't tell who it had been. That same person also had said something, albeit in whispers he couldn't really recognise. The only thing he could remember was that throughout the dream, he had felt really warm, yet sad at the same time.

Subsequently, having been refreshed, he returned to the main room to see Sora sleeping on the bed. He chuckled, thinking his brother must have moved since the sofa was in no way a comfortable object to sleep on. He could vouch for that since his lower back was now aching and crying uncle.

"Ow, that hurts… I'm pretty sure I slept on a sofa, not wooden plank…" he murmured to himself. As he made his way past the bed, he smiled at how peaceful Sora looked in his sleep. "Rise and shine, Sora. This is your big day. You wouldn't wanna miss any second of it."

Intent on letting the fresh air of in, Roxas drew the curtain and opened the window. As he did that, the tranquil golden glow filled the room, illuminating every corner. He admired the sunrise as well as the sound of passerine birds singing their melodious song for the world to hear.

All these things might be heralding the beginning of what was to be his final day, but Roxas couldn't care any less. It was exactly because this was his final day that he had to enjoy every little things his life had to offer in what little time he had.

After several minutes of marvelling the grandeur of dawn, he noticed Sora hadn't given him any reply, so he called out to him again. "Wake up, Sora. You're gonna miss this great view if you keep sleeping like a rock," he said with a grin.

No reply.

"C'mon, don't be such a sleepyhead. How about I treat you to a breakfast?"

Still no reply.

"Trying to play the tough guy, huh? Okay, let's play."

For the third time, still no reply.

He was having none of it, so he turned around and approached the bed; if Sora had been healthy, he would have doused him with a bucket of cold water. "Hey, if you don't wake up on the count of three—"

Roxas stopped mid-sentence and froze on the spot.

On his bed Sora lay, his left arm dangling over the edge. His right palm was on his left chest, as though he had been trying to fend off an indescribable feeling of pain. However, Sora's face was peaceful; as though there had been nothing in the world to worry about, he was smiling, and although it had become dry, a trail of tear across his temple was faintly visible.

Roxas was horrified. He couldn't believe what he saw. He felt his stomach churn as the world around him spun violently; he might collapse any second now. Tears started welling in his eyes, and he found it hard to fight back. All his hope was crushed, shattered into a million pieces by the thought that what he feared the most had come true.

Limping forward in his lightheadedness, Roxas tried to brace himself for the worst only to find out that he couldn't. Apprehensive to say the least, he placed his left hand under his nose to check Sora's respiration and his right hand on the neck to feel his pulse.

But he was breathing no longer.

There was no pulse.

Roxas had lost his brother.

"Sora…?"


	8. Completion

_Pre-note: 358/2 Days' Dearly Beloved goes amazingly well with this chapter. Try listening to it while reading, but do so at your own risk. You'll find out why._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise._

_Enjoy the read._

* * *

Destiny Islands. The archipelagic town where Ventus, Roxas, and Sora had spent their whole life.

This place held memories of their childhood, ranging from the happiest to the saddest ones. Their souls lived on in their possessions—such as Ven's guitar, Roxas' skateboard, and Sora's wooden sword, among others—giving them significant sentimental values. Even the walls of their seaside house had borne witnesses to those three's joy and grief.

The happiest memories were kept neatly and tidily in their family album. The colour of the cover was a gentle cyan resulting from the combination of blue and green, representing the theme of the names of the family members: wind and sky. Contained within the pages of the album were numerous snapshots depicting memorable moments from Ven's birth up to the twin's last birthday not more than two months ago. Smiles and laughter were in practically every single picture.

The saddest memories, on the other hand, took residence on a flower field several hundred metres from the house. At the end of the only paved walkway cutting through the field, two headstones stood solemnly; one was in the form of a stylised heart, while the other, a crown. The crown-shaped one had the earth immediately in front of it dug out in preparation for a burial.

And it was around this headstone that a multitude of people were gathered.

Standing with Ven in a distance, Sora witnessed as the funeral proceeded. He saw lots of not-so-familiar, familiar, and more-than-familiar faces: his parents, Kairi, Riku, Xion, Lea, Naminé, Terra, their families, and even Doctor Aqua herself, along with some of his and his brothers' acquaintances. Ven placed his hand on his shoulder, telling him that the many people who attended his funeral showed that he had been loved, and always would be. This elicited a sad smile from him.

However, hearing Roxas' eulogy of him broke his heart so. Even though he could still poke fun of those light moments they had gone through in days bygone, Sora could tell that he was in an emotional wreck. The fact that Roxas would sometimes stop speaking to hold his tears at bay only made it even harder.

And sure enough, as soon as he was done with his eulogy, Roxas' chain of self-restraint finally delinked under enormous emotional pressure; he broke down in tears when returning to his seat, and had to be supported by his parents. Now Sora, being his twin, understood so well what was going on in Roxas' heart, what with his emotional connection with him. He knew currently Roxas must be totally devastated and feeling empty, having lost his brother and best friend—practically, the other half of his heart—while in fact it should have been him.

Noticing Sora's sadness, Ven took the initiative to speak up. "You okay?"

"… I'm fine. Or I thought I was," replied Sora. He wanted to scream and began to doubt whether he had made the right decision. Who knew his emotions could have overturned so quickly?

"I know, Sora, I know… this is what I felt when I had to leave you two. But I'm here to hear whatever you have in mind," said Ven again.

"Was I wrong?" the younger boy stuttered. "I… have I made the wrong decision?"

"Sora… why did you say that?"

"I didn't wanna make Roxas sad, but I did… tell me, Ven!" he pled. "Please tell me I haven't! Please…"

Ven shed a tear. Watching both his brothers in a very miserable state was way too much for him to bear, so he attempted to console the one closer to him. He held him close and ensured him that it was alright. He admitted that he didn't know how to answer to Sora's question or whether there was a correct answer after all, but he was more certain than anybody else that the decision had been a very noble one of pure intentions.

"You've gotta be proud of yourself," he said while patting him on the back. "Roxas lives, and it's because of you. You said you wanted it more than anything else, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but… I've caused him to go through this… this sadness. Roxas never cried in front of me. He was so strong…"

"It's natural, Sora. When someone you love leaves you, it's okay to cry. It helps you cope."

"I know…"

"Roxas cried a lot when I died. You did, too. You guys couldn't see me, but I was there with you. Imagine how it felt seeing not one, but two, kids crying their eyes out because you left them forever."

Sora didn't answer, although in his head he was grateful he didn't have the even more debilitating sadness Ven had had to go through. He couldn't imagine how sad and lonely Ven must have been that time, just like what he had said in that overly realistic dream two nights ago.

Ven continued. "But Roxas is a big boy now. Eventually he'll recover… and he'll be very proud of you. Perhaps even more than you're proud of him. Than we both are proud of him."

"But after that… will he forget about me?"

Ven blinked and chuckled at his brother's insecurity. "No, of course he won't!" he replied as though the answer had been very obvious.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, you didn't forget about me. You even said you missed me," said Ven again, gaining a nod from Sora. "When someone's had a special place in your heart, it's gonna be so hard to forget about him. That's just the way it is."

Sora thought for a while and figured that indeed, those words meant nothing but the truth. Ven had been, and still was, someone very dear to him, and so was Roxas. As such, he would never forget about them even if he tried.

He knew that he was someone very dear to Roxas, too. Even though they had been distant, he volunteered to donate his heart, leading to their reconciliation. During that very short moment of their reunion, they had shared genuine joy and laughter. And now, he cried—and was still crying—over the loss of his brother. Those things just confirmed to Sora how much Roxas loved him. With that thought, he managed to gradually regain his confidence.

"So did I make the right decision?" Sora directed his question for the second time to Ven.

"Well… to be honest, I can't answer that. I can only ask you back…" the blonde paused for a while. He took a deep breath and exhaled, and continued. "Do you think you've made the right decision?"

There was a few seconds of silence on Sora's part, but then he nodded in a resolute manner. "… yeah. I think so."

"Do you believe you've made the right decision?"

"I believe."

"Then it's the right decision."

Now that he had been reassured, Sora became more willing to let it go. Yes, just like he had said, he believed that both he and Ven would live on in Roxas' heart, safe and secure in the special space he had reserved for them. Knowing that, Sora could rest in peace.

The brothers continued to watch as the funeral process went on. To say the least, it was a very weird experience for Sora when his relatives and friends whispered their final goodbyes to him before the casket was closed; despite being quite a distance away, he could hear the words clearly. Some of them touched his hand or face and his family members gave him a kiss, and somehow, he could feel the tactile sensation while he shouldn't have been able to.

Finally, the lid was shut and the casket was lowered into the ground. People expressed their condolences to the Skylers family, especially to Roxas who no doubt took it the hardest among them all. Then, after asking the distraught boy to stay strong and giving him their best support, they left one by one.

Xion and Lea stayed behind to console their best friend. They made sure to lay a bouquet of flowers at the base of the crown, and used this opportunity to visit Ven's grave as well to greet him; they might not have met him many times in the past, but they remembered him as a cheerful persona whose presence had always been welcome whenever they came to play at Roxas' house.

"I missed them, too. Xion and Lea… that dude was the naughtiest," Ven mumbled to Sora. "Roxas and them used to take turns sleeping over in each other's house, didn't they?"

"Yeah. And when they came to our house…"

"… you know Kingdom Hearts was about to break loose."

"And I'd join them."

"To wrap my body all over with saran wrap while I was sleeping?"

"And you'd wrap all four of us together like Siamese quadruplets."

"Those were the days…"

Finally, they too departed, leaving Roxas alone with his parents. This was the moment Ven and Sora had been waiting for; they might no longer be able to interact directly with Roxas, but it did little to stop them. They wanted to let him know that although he might be feeling this way right now, he would never be lonely again.

"Okay. Are you ready, Sora?" the older boy asked. "It's our turn. C'mon, let's say something to Roxas before leaving…"

Sora responded with a nod and smiled. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

Gusts of wind started to pick up. Dark clouds had formed and were moving inland. Waves crashed against the shore, growing mightier by the minute. It was as though the islands were weeping together with Roxas, sympathising with him over the loss of Sora.

It had been more than ten minutes since Xion and Lea had left with their families, but Roxas was still sitting on his chair, his head hung low. Roxas' mother, noticing that a heavy rain was approaching, suggested that they follow suit and return home, but her proposal was met with silence from her son's end. The father, who was also there with them, figured it might be better to let him take as much time as he might need to cope.

"Do you want us to go ahead, son?" he asked. Roxas spoke not a single word, but nodded in reply. "Alright. Try not to get caught in the rain since you're riding your motorcycle. You might catch a cold."

Roxas failed to produce any response, but it was all the father needed. With his wife he went back home, leaving the son all by himself at the field.

His mind went offline. He just couldn't think of anything right now. Sora had gone, he was no longer with him; his sudden departure had left a gaping void deep down in his heart. Ever since then, he had been feeling hollow and empty, and he wasn't sure how long he would stay in this state since there was absolutely nothing that could ever completely fill the void and mend his broken heart.

After so long, he finally lifted his head, catching Sora's beautifully sculpted headstone in his field of vision. It was in stark contrast to the heart marking Ven's resting place, which had stood the tests of time and nature. However, it was steadfast; worn and battered yet still standing strong, its presence by the crown's side almost symbolised how Ven would always be there to guide Sora in their journey beyond life.

However, every time Roxas saw Sora's headstone, a storm of emotions stirred up in his heart. It should have taken the form of a diagonal cross, not a crown. The plaque should have borne his name, not Sora's. And the one resting inside the casket should have been him, not Sora. Things should have been the other way around!

His relatives and friends had tried to console him, but he had refused to cooperate. No, he simply didn't want to be comforted. Only Sora's, or Ven's, presence would be able to uplift him, but he knew it was impossible now that they were no longer with him. Right now, with nothing in his mind, he felt as though drifting in an ocean of thoughts, letting the currents take him wherever they flowed.

For him, the world was a complete mess. Nothing at all made sense. Although Roxas was aware of the passing of time, he couldn't comprehend his motion through it. The boundary between reality and his own had been blurred, and he found himself being in both of them while, at the same time, in neither of them.

That said, he felt safe… completely safe. And he didn't care if it was a false sense of security; in his current state he hid from the harsh, raw truth, allowing him to loiter around aimlessly in the deepest recesses of his mind. Roxas' tears stopped flowing, although he didn't know whether it was because he had finally coped or he no longer had tears to shed.

Roxas was yanked back to the outside world by the rumbling sound of thunder coming from beyond the sea. He didn't know how long he had been spacing out for, but a quick glance at his watch made it clear to him that he had been there for around half an hour. The storm was closing in; he stood up, prepared to head back home, and reached for his motorcycle keys in his pocket.

"Sora…" he whispered, his voice as empty and hollow as his heart. "Rest in peace, Sora. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy…"

With that, Roxas turned around and walked through the field. He stopped for a while to observe the flowers; they were swaying in the wind as though waving a goodbye. But to whom? To him, or to Sora? He might never know, since the flowers had come to rest again due to the sudden absence of air movement, collectively refusing to answer every single question he might throw at them.

However, it was then that a very gentle breeze, instead of a gust of wind, picked up and caressed him, carrying with it a sweet sound of laughter.

It sounded very, very familiar, and was composed of not just one person's laughter, but two.

Roxas froze on the spot. He stayed silent for a long time, failing to notice that the first drops of rain had made their way onto the ground. He wasn't sure what to think; was his mind playing tricks on him? It was true that he had wanted to hear those voices again more than anything, especially the one with a higher pitch… so did it mean his wish had just been granted?

* * *

"He heard us!" said Sora. He was happy that his efforts had finally paid off. "We did it! That's actually really neat."

Again, Ven let out a chuckle at his brother's glee. "See? I told you it works. You just have to connect with him from your heart."

"Yeah, but I can feel that he's very sad… and he thinks we're the only ones who can cheer him up."

The older boy thought for a moment and soon produced that characteristic childish grin of his. "Is that so? Well then, why don't we do that?" he said. "What do you wanna do? If only we could've poked him on his side… that's his tickle spot, you know."

Sora beamed with a smile. "Let's give him a hug, Ven."

* * *

Before he could think even further, Roxas felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body. It was very comfortable to say the least; this was the kind of sensation he had used to experience every night when he was little, whenever Ven and Sora had been around. For reasons unknown, the warmth was able to take away some of the pain Roxas had been bearing from that sad morning in the hospital yesterday.

He closed his eyes and, unbeknownst to him, cracked a smile. He remembered those times in the past when Ven would give him and Sora a big, brotherly, and loving hug. It had felt exactly like this. Roxas didn't understand why he felt this sensation all over again right now of all times, but he wouldn't ask too many questions; he felt wonderful and would just delight in this moment before it finally came to pass.

Tears began streaming down his cheeks as he started to cry again, but his sobs had no chance in suppressing his smile and the joy he was feeling inside.

Roxas was happy. Very happy.

* * *

Now that he had moved on from the world of the living, Sora had lost his perception of time, just like Ven. He didn't know how long the three of them had been locked in this big group hug; it could be just a few seconds, it could be several hours, it didn't make any difference at all to the departed brothers.

What Sora did know, though, was that their action succeeded in uplifting Roxas' spirit. They were able to return to Roxas what he had needed the most: the strength and confidence to carry on.

Ven, too, felt Roxas' joy, and smiled tenderly in one of his own. "He's happy…" he said.

"Yeah, he is," Sora concurred. "I'm happy, too."

During this heartwarming moment, light started to blanket them both. It started off gentle, but gradually intensified over time. Sora was confused, but Ven knew what was happening; in just a few seconds, they would be transported into the realm where they belonged, and that was exactly how long they had left to say their final goodbye to their beloved brother.

"Well… I guess it's time to go, Sora," the blonde said.

"Already?" Sora frowned. He didn't want to go yet; it might be his last time being this close to Roxas. However, there was no point in arguing, because he knew there really was no delaying the inevitable "… okay. I guess we have to, huh…?"

Ven and Sora released their hold and walked toward the headstones. As that light grew brighter and brighter, their vision became blurry and clouded. With a radiant smile on their face, they said their final sentences before they were engulfed by an intense, brilliant flash.

"Take care, little brother…"

"Rox, don't forget us…"

With that, they were gone, waiting patiently for Roxas to finally reunite with them as an elderly person.

* * *

_Take care, little brother…_

_Rox, don't forget us…_

Those voices were evanescent, coming and going as quickly as the wind in a moment's passing. Hearing them, what little sadness and pain in Roxas' heart were completely wiped away, causing him to produce a sincere smile in the midst of his sobs.

Roxas was about to proceed forward when suddenly, he felt compelled to turn around. He didn't know what it was, but he decided to do it anyway to see what it was that was keeping him. And so, he did turn around to face the graves.

And he didn't regret it.

Even though only for a moment, Roxas could see the faint forms of Ven and Sora standing by their headstones. They dissipated into thin air very quickly, but he didn't miss their smile and that unmistakable expression on their face: one of pride, happiness, and love.

He figured his wish might have been granted after all. He had thought only Ven and Sora could uplift him, and it seemed that somehow, they had just done it. He felt the void in his heart slowly patching itself up; although it hadn't fully closed yet, that was alright. It was assurance enough for him.

Sora would always be there with, and for, him. Just like Ven, he and the memories of him would keep on living in his heart.

"Sora… Ven… thank you…" he said. He had faith that his words would transcend the confines of space and time, eventually reaching them wherever they might be. "I'll be strong, I promise… and I won't forget you…"

Then, lifting his head to the heavens, he said, "… because I know, I never could."

* * *

_Post-note: There it is, my first Kingdom Hearts multichapter. I really hope I've ended it beautifully, and I admit, I cried a bit when writing this chapter. Perhaps it was because I listened to that piece of music I mentioned earlier. Anyway, thank you so very much for all the support in the form of reviews, follows, and favourites! See you next story._


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